‘All those little things – make sure you do them’: The striker’s journey from gurney to scoring with the Basque club
Whenhe first time the Athletic striker featured in the UK, an 18-year-old representing Athletic Bilbao B against Borussia Mönchengladbach Under-23s at Wycombe’s stadium in the 2015 season, he scored. On his next visit he played in the country, against Sunderland two months later, he converted. His third outing, against Pep Guardiola’s team not long later, indeed, he scored again. As he revisited to the city to take on Manchester United at Leigh Sports Village in the 2017 season, he scored again. A spectacular strike, also. “Actually,” he remarks, “it ranks among my finest I’ve netted.” Thus the club did their duty: they took him off.
“I was furious,” the attacker says, and then he starts laughing. “Probably there’s a recording. Our match against United and I performed well. They didn’t let me play the second half: I was without a signed agreement, I was scoring goals, many stories circulated, as you’d expect. I don’t know about the Magpies’ pursuit, but I came across reports about the Red Devils, the usual talk. I’m not certain if it was accurate, but even if they had called, I would have wanted to stay at the club. It’s a privilege.”
La Real relieve strain with extraordinary derby triumph
At the facility, the Basque Country, the early training is ready to commence; after it, the quick travel to Loiu airport and a further journey to England, this time to face Newcastle in the Champions League on midweek. Uttering the name lights him up. It’s turning out to be a difficult season for Athletic, partially owing to the pressures of their participation. Losing in stoppage time in the local rivalry, they have managed just one win of their recent league fixtures and been defeated by Arsenal and the German side in Europe. However, consider the broader view, the big nights he has lived and upcoming events, and there’s a kind of quiet appreciation from him.
In the the period since he had rejoined the team, Guruzeta has been a Europa League semi-finalist, stopped at the gates a final at home by Manchester United, and has ridden an historic vessel through the waterway surrounded by a huge crowd after lifting the trophy, the team’s initial silverware in four decades. Currently he stands as Athletic’s top scorer in the UCL, where they are unique and making their first appearance in a decade. “I couldn’t have pictured this,” he admits.
The player believed 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 regular attendee at the opposition side, Gorka is a product of Antiguoko, the Donostiarra team that nurtured the Arsenal manager, the legendary midfielder and Andoni Iraola. He signed for Athletic at 17 but after his top-level debut in the 2018 season, he experienced a serious knee problem, dropped, a drop in category and a recall before he could truly get a chance, coming back aged 26 to enjoy the highlights of his career.
“Entering the youth system not expecting to reach the top level but every phase you progress through you’re still there and you can notice the proximity. You get there but … you have to leave.” He had limited game time in a handful of matches between his bow and early 2019. “Subsequently I returned to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Five, six games at that level and I tear my cruciate.
“A massive setback but In retrospect as something positive because it made me change the outlook. The rehabilitation process is difficult, but it helps. You develop habits new to you. It’s not about neglect, but I would go to training and then return home, as a youngster does. At Lezama, all resources are available, so take full advantage. Practice, prevention. Strength training. With hip imbalance, correct it. Assuming ankle mobility is good, enhance it further. All those ‘silly things’: execute them.
“In the first team you’re going to collide with opponents who have experienced contact 200,000 times. Extremely powerful. Reviewing old images: I had slender legs. So what happens, happens. Current photos and the improvement is clear. Recovery revealed that. Training finishes, but additional work remains. Everyone else is ready, really ready; you have to be too.”
Minutes are crucial. He left in tears in that year, in his early twenties, moving to a lower level. At Sabadell in the 20-21 campaign, he got three strikes in 40 games. With Amorebieta in the following period, the goals started to flow. “It’s a common path: loans, terminated contracts. Should you reverse it, effort, faith, and should the time come a vacancy arises in your position, recall is possible. Preparation is key. When the opportunity came, a fantasy realized. Lifting the cup, European football, and qualify for Europe’s top tier … pfff.”
Little surprise he states this is to be enjoyed. All the more so after the prior campaign which, at times, was about endurance. From top scorer with a high tally, last season he got seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
