‘Every minor detail – execute them’: The striker’s journey from rehabilitation to success with Athletic Bilbao
The first time Gorka Guruzeta played in England, an teenage playing for the reserve team against German opponents at Adams Park in September 2015, he found the net. During his subsequent match he appeared in England, against the English side weeks after, he netted. The third time, against Manchester City soon after, sure enough, he repeated the feat. When he returned to Manchester to play against the Red Devils at Leigh’s ground in 2017, he found the back of the net. An excellent finish, as well. “Actually,” he says, “it’s one of the best goals I’ve netted.” So Athletic did what they had to do: he was replaced.
“I got well angry,” the attacker reveals, before breaking into laughter. “There must be a video somewhere. We went to play United and I was pretty good. I wasn’t allowed to feature the latter period: my contract wasn’t finalized deal, I was scoring goals, speculation was rife, as you’d expect. I’m unsure regarding the Magpies’ pursuit, but I recall seeing about the Red Devils, the usual talk. I’m not certain how true it was, but supposing an offer came, my desire was to remain at Athletic. I feel lucky to be here.”
La Real relieve strain with extraordinary derby triumph
At Lezama, Bilbao, the morning session is about to start; following that, the quick travel to Loiu airport and another flight to Britain, now to take on the Magpies in the UCL on Wednesday. Mentioning that phrase brings a smile to his face. It has become a challenging campaign for the club, partly because of the requirements 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 fallen to the Gunners and Dortmund in the continental stage. Yet, consider the broader view, the memorable evenings and future challenges, and there’s a kind of quiet appreciation about him.
In the 36 months since he had returned to the club, the striker has been a Europa League semi-finalist, prevented from reaching a final at home by United, and has ridden an historic vessel up the Nervión estuary flanked by a million fans after securing the Spanish cup, the first title in four decades. Now he is the club’s leading marksman in the Champions League, where they are countercultural and making their first appearance in a decade. “I couldn’t have pictured this,” he states.
The player believed it difficult enough just to earn a spot and his assessment was correct. The son of the former Real Sociedad player the former professional and a regular attendee at the opposition side, the forward is a product of Antiguoko, the local academy that developed Mikel Arteta, the legendary midfielder and the tactician. His move to Athletic came at 17 but after his top-level debut in August 2018, he suffered a serious knee problem, dropped, a demotion and a recall before he could finally secure an opportunity, coming back aged 26 to enjoy the highlights of the club’s history.
“Entering the youth system thinking you won’t reach the first team but with every stage you progress through you’re still there and you can notice the proximity. You make it and … departure is necessary.” He played six, nine, five, one, four and 20 minutes in a handful of matches between his bow and early 2019. “And then I go back down to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Several appearances there and I tear my cruciate.
“It was a huge blow but I reflect on it as a turning point because it made me change the way I saw things. Healing from a serious ailment is hard, but it helps. You develop habits you didn’t have. It’s not about neglect, but I would go to training and then head home, like when you’re a kid. At Lezama, all resources are available, so do everything. Practice, prevention. Strength training. If your hips aren’t balanced, work on that. With decent ankle function, improve it more. Every small aspect: execute them.
“At the top level you’re going to collide with opponents who have crashed into players 200,000 times. Extremely powerful. 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 further effort is needed. Everyone else is ready, really ready; no exceptions.”
Minutes are crucial. He left upset in 2020, at 23 years old, joining the second tier. At Sabadell in the 20-21 campaign, he netted three goals in forty appearances. During his Amorebieta stint in the second half of 2021-22, the scoring picked up. “Many experience this: transfers, releases. If you turn it round, dedication, confidence, and should the time come a vacancy arises where you play, they might come back for you. You have to be ready. When the opportunity came, it was a dream come true. The trophy success, compete continentally, and reach the Champions League … pfff.”
Little surprise he states this is to be enjoyed. Especially after the previous season which, on occasions, was focused on persistence. After being leading scorer with a high tally, his output dropped to seven in {15 games more|additional matches|