‘All those silly things – do them’: The striker’s journey from gurney to goals with Athletic Bilbao

Whenhe initial occasion Gorka Guruzeta competed in England, an 18-year-old representing Athletic Bilbao B against Borussia Mönchengladbach Under-23s at Wycombe’s stadium in September 2015, he found the net. During his subsequent match he played in England, against the Black Cats weeks after, he scored. Another occasion, against the Citizens soon after, indeed, he scored again. When he returned to the city to take on Manchester United at the sports complex in that year, he scored again. A spectacular strike, as well. “Actually,” he states, “it’s one of the best goals I’ve netted.” Therefore the team did what was necessary: they substituted him.

“I got well angry,” the attacker admits, and then he starts laughing. “I’m sure there’s footage. Our match against United and I was pretty good. They didn’t let me play the second half: I was without a signed agreement, I kept finding the net, many stories circulated, as you’d expect. I’m unsure regarding Newcastle being interested, but I came across reports about Man United, the typical thing. I’m not certain how true it was, but even if they had called, I would have wanted to stay at the club. It’s a privilege.”

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At Lezama, Bilbao, the morning session is ready to commence; following that, the brief trip to the airport and another flight to Britain, this time to take on the Magpies in the UCL on the upcoming match. Just saying those two words brings a smile to his face. It has become a challenging campaign for the club, partly because of the pressures of competing at this level. Defeated late on in the local rivalry, they have won only one of their recent league fixtures and been defeated by Arsenal and the German side in the continental stage. But, look at the overall situation, the big nights he has lived and future challenges, and a sense of thankful reflection about him.

In the 36 months since he had rejoined the team, the striker has been a Europa League semi-finalist, prevented from reaching the showpiece event by United, and has ridden an historic vessel up the Nervión estuary surrounded by a million fans after lifting the trophy, the club’s first trophy in a long wait. Now he is the club’s leading marksman in the UCL, where they are countercultural and debuting in a decade. “I couldn’t have pictured this,” he admits.

Guruzeta thought it hard enough just to make the first team and that proved true. The son of the former Real Sociedad player his father and a dedicated fan at the team he now opposes, Gorka is a product of Antiguoko, the Donostiarra team that produced the coach, the former star and Andoni Iraola. His move to Athletic came at seventeen but after making his senior debut in that summer, he experienced a ACL injury, the cut, a relegation and a recall before he could truly get a chance, returning at 26 to experience the peak of his career.

“Joining the setup doubting you’ll make the top level but each step you go through you’re remaining and you can notice the proximity. You make it and … you have to leave.” He played six, nine, five, one, four and 20 minutes in six games between his debut and February 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 look back on it as something positive because it made me change the outlook. Recovering from a long-term injury is challenging, but it helps. You cultivate routines new to you. Previously I was casual, but I would go to training and then go home, as a youngster does. At the complex, facilities are comprehensive, so do everything. Work, precaution. Get in the gym. If your hips aren’t balanced, address that. With decent ankle function, improve it more. All the minor details: perform them.

“At the top level you’re going to collide with opponents who have been in battles 200,000 times. Extremely powerful. Reviewing old images: my physique was slight. Thus incidents occur. Look at pictures of me now and the change is dramatic. Injury made me see that. Training finishes, but additional work remains. Everyone else is ready, really ready; you have to be too.”

You also have to play. The striker moved emotionally in 2020, in his early twenties, dropping into the second division. With Sabadell in 2020-21, he got three strikes in forty appearances. At Amorebieta in the second half of 2021-22, the goals started to flow. “Many experience this: loans, terminated contracts. With a turnaround, dedication, confidence, and when eventually they need someone where you play, a return could happen. Preparation is key. Upon the recall, an aspiration fulfilled. To then win the Copa del Rey, compete continentally, and make the UCL … pfff.”

Little surprise he states appreciate the experience. All the more so after the previous season which, sometimes, was involved suffering. From top scorer with sixteen goals, last season he got seven in {15 games more|additional matches|