‘All those little things – make sure you do them’: Guruzeta’s road from gurney to goals with Athletic
Whenhe first time Gorka Guruzeta competed in the UK, an teenage representing the reserve team against Bundesliga youth at Wycombe’s stadium in fall 2015, he scored. The second time he appeared in England, against the Black Cats two months later, he netted. The third time, against Manchester City not long later, indeed, he repeated the feat. When he returned to the northwest to face United at Leigh Sports Village in the 2017 season, he scored again. An excellent finish, too. “Actually,” he remarks, “it’s a top-class goal in my career.” Thus the club did their duty: he was replaced.
“I got well angry,” the forward admits, then chuckling. “I’m sure there’s footage. We traveled to face United and I was pretty good. They didn’t let me play the final 45 minutes: I hadn’t yet signed agreement, I kept finding the net, speculation was rife, you know how it is. I’m unsure regarding the Magpies’ pursuit, but I remember reading about the Red Devils, the usual talk. I’m not certain if it was accurate, but had they contacted me, I would have wanted to stay at the club. I feel lucky to be here.”
La Real relieve strain with extraordinary derby triumph
At the facility, Bilbao, the early training is ready to commence; following that, the quick travel to the airport and another flight to Britain, on this occasion to take on the Magpies in the Champions League on the upcoming match. Just saying those two words makes Guruzeta smile. It’s turning out to be a tough year for Athletic, due in part to the pressures of competing at this level. Beaten in added time in the derby on Saturday, they have managed just one win of their last eight matches and been defeated by Arsenal and Dortmund in Europe. But, take in the big picture, the big nights he has lived and upcoming events, and he feels a calm gratitude from him.
In the the period since he had returned to the club, Gorka has been a semi-final participant, denied at the last hurdle a domestic final by Manchester United, and has ridden an historic vessel up the Nervión estuary accompanied by a million fans after lifting the trophy, the team’s initial silverware in a long wait. Currently he stands as the club’s leading marksman in the European competition, where they are unique and debuting in a long period. “I never imagined this,” he states.
He considered it challenging enough just to break into the senior squad and he was right. The son of the ex-La Real star the former professional and a dedicated fan at the team he now opposes, Guruzeta is a graduate of Antiguoko, the local academy that produced the coach, Xabi Alonso and the Bournemouth manager. His move to Athletic came at his teens but after his first-team bow in that summer, he suffered a torn cruciate, the cut, a relegation and a call back before he could truly get a chance, returning at 26 to live the best days of their lives.
“Joining the setup doubting you’ll make the first team but each step you progress through you’re persisting and you can see it getting closer. You get there but … you’re sent away.” He played six, nine, five, one, four and 20 minutes in half a dozen appearances between his first game and February 2019. “Subsequently I returned to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. A few matches there and my knee gave way.
“A massive setback but In retrospect as something positive because it made me change the outlook. The rehabilitation process is difficult, but it aids growth. You adopt practices you didn’t have. It’s not that you don’t look after yourself, but I would go to training and then go home, typical youth behavior. In the facility, all resources are available, so do everything. Practice, prevention. Get in the gym. Should your hips be uneven, correct it. Assuming ankle mobility is good, improve it more. All the minor details: do them.
“In the first team you’re going to collide with opponents who have crashed into players repeatedly. Highly robust. I look at photos of me before: my physique was slight. So what happens, happens. Look at pictures of me now and it’s totally different. Recovery revealed that. Sessions end, but there’s more to do. Everyone else is ready, really ready; no exceptions.”
Game time is essential. He left upset in that year, in his early twenties, moving to a lower level. At Sabadell in that season, he scored three times in 40 games. With Amorebieta in the second half of 2021-22, the he found his form. “Many experience this: temporary moves, ended deals. With a turnaround, work, believe, and if one day a vacancy arises for your role, recall is possible. Preparation is key. When they decided to call again, it was a dream come true. Lifting the cup, compete continentally, and reach the Champions League … pfff.”
Understandably he remarks savor the moment. All the more so after the prior campaign which, on occasions, was involved suffering. After being leading scorer with 16 in 2023-24, he managed seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
