‘All those little things – make sure you do them’: The striker’s path from rehabilitation to goals with the Basque club
Thehe first time Gorka Guruzeta featured in English soil, an teenage representing the reserve team against German opponents at the English ground in September 2015, he found the net. During his subsequent match he played in British turf, against the English side weeks after, he scored. The third time, against Manchester City soon after, well, he scored again. As he revisited to the city to take on Manchester United at Leigh’s ground in 2017, he found the back of the net. It was a superb volley, as well. “Truly,” he states, “it’s a top-class goal in my career.” Thus the club did their duty: he was replaced.
“I became very upset,” the attacker reveals, and then he starts laughing. “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, there were lots of rumours, you know how it is. No confirmation on interest from Newcastle, but I came across reports about Manchester United, the typical thing. It’s unclear if it was accurate, but supposing an offer came, I would have wanted to stay at Bilbao. It’s a privilege.”
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At Lezama, Bilbao, the morning session is set to begin; after it, the brief trip to Loiu and another trip to the UK, now to take on the Magpies in the Champions League on the upcoming match. Mentioning that phrase brings a smile to his face. It’s turning out to be a challenging campaign for the team, partly because of the demands of their participation. Defeated late on in the weekend clash, they have secured just a single victory of their recent league fixtures and lost against Arsenal and Dortmund in Europe. But, take in the big picture, the memorable evenings and those that lie ahead, and a sense of thankful reflection about him.
In the 36 months since he had rejoined the team, Guruzeta has been a semi-final participant, prevented from reaching a domestic final by the English giants, and has boarded a decades-old barge through the waterway accompanied by countless supporters after lifting the trophy, the first title in four decades. Currently he stands as the top goal-getter in the Champions League, where they are distinctive and making their first appearance in a long period. “I couldn’t have pictured this,” he says.
He considered it challenging enough just to break into the senior squad and his assessment was correct. As the child of the one-time rival player Xabi Guruzeta and a dedicated fan at the club that are now his rivals, Guruzeta is a graduate of Antiguoko, the Donostiarra team that produced Mikel Arteta, Xabi Alonso and the tactician. His move to Athletic came at his teens but after his first-team bow in August 2018, he went through a ACL injury, being released, a demotion and a call back before he could truly get a chance, returning at 26 to enjoy the highlights of the club’s history.
“Entering the youth system thinking you won’t reach the senior squad but each step you go through you’re persisting and you can observe the approach. You arrive and then … you’re sent away.” He had limited game time in a handful of matches between his bow and February 2019. “Then I was sent to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Five, six games at that level and my knee gave way.
“It was a huge blow but I look back on it as a turning point because it shifted the way I saw things. The rehabilitation process is difficult, but it aids growth. You develop habits new to you. It’s not about neglect, but I would go to training and then return home, like when you’re a kid. At the complex, you have everything, so utilize it all. Work, precaution. Hit the weights. If your hips aren’t balanced, correct it. With decent ankle function, improve it more. All those ‘silly things’: perform them.
“At the top level you’re going to crash into players who have crashed into players 200,000 times. Highly robust. Reviewing old images: my legs are chicken legs. So what happens, happens. Current photos and the change is dramatic. Recovery revealed that. Sessions end, but further effort is needed. Teammates are set, really ready; you have to be too.”
Game time is essential. He left in tears in the pandemic season, in his early twenties, joining the second tier. With Sabadell in 2020-21, he netted three goals in numerous matches. With Amorebieta in the second half of 2021-22, the goals started to flow. “Many experience this: temporary moves, ended deals. If you turn it round, work, believe, and should the time come they need someone where you play, they might come back for you. Preparation is key. When they decided to call again, a fantasy realized. To then win the Copa del Rey, European football, and qualify for Europe’s top tier … pfff.”
No wonder he says savor the moment. Particularly after the prior campaign which, sometimes, was about endurance. From top scorer with 16 in 2023-24, last season he got seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
