‘All those silly things – do them’: The striker’s path from rehabilitation to scoring with Athletic

The first time Gorka Guruzeta competed in the UK, an 18-year-old representing the youth squad against Bundesliga youth at Wycombe’s stadium in fall 2015, he found the net. On his next visit he took the field in the country, against the Black Cats weeks after, he netted. The third time, against Pep Guardiola’s team not long later, indeed, he scored again. Upon his comeback to Manchester to play against the Red Devils at Leigh’s ground in the 2017 season, he scored again. An excellent finish, too. “In fact,” he states, “it ranks among my finest in my career.” So Athletic did what they had to do: they took him off.

“I got well angry,” the Athletic striker says, and then he starts laughing. “There must be a video somewhere. We traveled to face United and I was pretty good. They didn’t let me play the second half: I was without a signed agreement, I was scoring goals, there were lots of rumours, you know how it is. No confirmation on interest from Newcastle, but I came across reports about Man United, standard transfer gossip. I’m not certain how true it was, but supposing an offer came, my desire was to remain at the club. I feel lucky to be here.”

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At the training ground, Bilbao, the morning session is set to begin; following that, the quick travel to the airport and a further journey to Britain, now to take on the Magpies in the Champions League on midweek. Uttering the name lights him up. It’s turning out to be a challenging campaign for the club, due in part to the pressures of competing at this level. Defeated late on in the weekend clash, they have won only one of their last eight matches and been defeated by Arsenal and Dortmund in European competition. However, look at the overall situation, the major occasions he’s experienced and upcoming events, and there’s a kind of quiet appreciation within him.

In the the period since he had returned to the club, the striker has been a semi-final participant, prevented from reaching a final at home by United, and has ridden an historic vessel up the Nervión estuary accompanied by a huge crowd after lifting the trophy, the club’s first trophy in 40 years. He’s now the club’s leading marksman in the UCL, where they are unique and making their first appearance in a long period. “I couldn’t have pictured this,” he admits.

The player believed it hard enough just to earn a spot and his assessment was correct. The son of the ex-La Real star Xabi Guruzeta and a season ticket holder at the opposition side, Gorka is from the Antiguoko academy, the San Sebastián club that developed Mikel Arteta, the former star and the Bournemouth manager. He signed for Athletic at 17 but after his top-level debut in the 2018 season, he experienced a ACL injury, the cut, a drop in category and a recall before he could finally secure an opportunity, coming back aged 26 to experience the peak of his career.

“Entering the youth system thinking you won’t reach the first team but every phase you progress 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 a handful of matches between his first game and that period. “And then I go back down to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Several appearances there and my knee gave way.

“A severe disappointment but I look back on it as a beneficial experience because it made me change the way I saw things. Recovering from a long-term injury is difficult, but it helps. You cultivate routines new to you. It’s not about neglect, but I attended practice and then return home, typical youth behavior. At the complex, facilities are comprehensive, so do everything. Practice, prevention. Get in the gym. With hip imbalance, work on that. With decent ankle function, make it a 12 or a 14. All those ‘silly things’: execute them.

“At the top level you’re going to collide with opponents who have experienced contact countless occasions. Extremely powerful. Seeing previous pictures: my physique was slight. Thus incidents occur. Current photos and the improvement is clear. The setback taught me. Training finishes, but additional work remains. Peers are prepared, really ready; the same applies.”

Game time is essential. The striker moved in tears in 2020, at 23 years old, dropping into the second division. During his Sabadell spell in 2020-21, he got three strikes in forty appearances. 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, dedication, confidence, and should the time come the requirement appears for your role, recall is possible. You have to be ready. Upon the recall, it was a dream come true. Lifting the cup, compete continentally, and qualify for Europe’s top tier … pfff.”

Understandably he remarks this is to be enjoyed. Especially after the prior campaign which, on occasions, was about endurance. From top scorer with sixteen goals, his output dropped to seven in {15 games more|additional matches|