‘All those silly things – do them’: Guruzeta’s path from injury table to success with the Basque club

The initial occasion Gorka Guruzeta played in English soil, an 18-year-old playing for Athletic Bilbao B against Bundesliga youth at the English ground in the 2015 season, he scored. During his subsequent match he played in the country, against the Black Cats following that, he netted. His third outing, against Pep Guardiola’s team not long later, sure enough, he did it once more. Upon his comeback to the northwest to take on Manchester United at Leigh’s ground in that year, he scored again. An excellent finish, as well. “In fact,” he states, “it’s a top-class goal I’ve ever scored.” So Athletic did what was necessary: he was replaced.

“I became very upset,” the forward admits, then chuckling. “I’m sure there’s footage. Our match against United and I was pretty good. They kept me out of the second half: my contract wasn’t finalized agreement, I was scoring goals, speculation was rife, as you’d expect. I’m unsure regarding interest from Newcastle, but I came across reports about Manchester United, the usual talk. I have no idea if it was accurate, but had they contacted me, I’d have chosen to stay at the club. I’m fortunate to be here.”

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At the training ground, Bilbao, the morning session is set to begin; following that, the quick travel to the airport and another trip to the UK, this time to face Newcastle in the UCL on the upcoming match. Uttering the name brings a smile to his face. It’s turning out to be a tough year for the team, due in part to the requirements of their participation. Defeated late on in the local rivalry, they have managed just one win of their last eight matches and fallen to the Gunners and the German side in European competition. But, consider the broader view, the memorable evenings and upcoming events, and there’s a kind of quiet appreciation about him.

In the the period since he had rejoined the team, the striker has been a final four contender in Europe, denied at the last hurdle a final at home by the English giants, and has ridden an historic vessel up the Nervión estuary flanked by a huge crowd after lifting the trophy, the first title in a long wait. He’s now the club’s leading marksman in the European competition, where they are countercultural and debuting in ten years. “This was beyond my dreams,” he states.

He considered it challenging enough just to make the first team and that proved true. As the child of the former Real Sociedad player the former professional and a season ticket holder at the team he now opposes, Guruzeta is a product of Antiguoko, the local academy that developed the Arsenal manager, the legendary midfielder and Andoni Iraola. He joined Athletic at 17 but after his first-team bow in that summer, he went through a serious knee problem, being released, a relegation and a recall before he could earn his place, making his comeback to enjoy the highlights of his career.

“You go into the academy not expecting to reach the senior squad but each step you advance through you’re remaining and you can notice the proximity. You make it and … you have to leave.” He had limited game time in six games between his first game and early 2019. “And then I go back down to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Five, six games with them and my knee gave way.

“It was a huge blow but I reflect on it as a turning point because it forced me to alter the way I saw things. Recovering from a long-term injury is difficult, but it helps. You adopt practices you didn’t have. Previously I was casual, but I would go to training and then go home, as a youngster does. At the complex, all resources are available, so take full advantage. Practice, prevention. Hit the weights. Should your hips be uneven, address that. If your ankles are a 10, enhance it further. Every small aspect: do them.

“In the first team you’re going to crash into players who have crashed into players countless occasions. Highly robust. Reviewing old images: I had slender legs. So what happens, happens. Look at pictures of me now and the change is dramatic. The setback taught me. Training finishes, but there’s more to do. Teammates are set, really ready; you have to be too.”

Game time is essential. The striker moved in tears in the pandemic season, aged 23, dropping into the second division. At Sabadell in that season, he netted three goals in forty appearances. At Amorebieta in the second half of 2021-22, the he found his form. “It’s a common path: transfers, releases. Should you reverse it, work, believe, and when eventually a vacancy arises where you play, they might come back for you. Preparation is key. When the opportunity came, a fantasy realized. Lifting the cup, play in Europe, and qualify for Europe’s top tier … pfff.”

No wonder he says savor the moment. Especially after the prior campaign which, sometimes, was focused on persistence. From top scorer with a high tally, last season he got seven in {15 games more|additional matches|