‘All those little things – make sure you do them’: The striker’s path from rehabilitation to goals with Athletic Bilbao

Thehe first time Gorka Guruzeta featured in England, an 18-year-old playing for the reserve team against Bundesliga youth at Wycombe’s stadium in the 2015 season, he hit the target. During his subsequent match he took the field in British turf, against the Black Cats weeks after, he scored. The third time, against Pep Guardiola’s team not long later, sure enough, he did it once more. Upon his comeback to the city to take on Manchester United at Leigh Sports Village in that year, he did it once more. An excellent finish, too. “Truly,” he remarks, “it’s a top-class goal in my career.” Therefore the team did their duty: they substituted him.

“I got well angry,” the attacker says, before breaking into laughter. “There must be a video somewhere. We went to play United and I performed well. They kept me out of the latter period: I was without a signed my contract, goals were flowing, many stories circulated, as you’d expect. I don’t know about Newcastle being interested, but I remember reading about Man United, the typical thing. I’m not certain how true it was, but even if they had called, my desire was to remain at Athletic. It’s a privilege.”

La Real relieve strain with extraordinary derby triumph

At the training ground, Bilbao, the early training is about to start; after it, the quick travel to Loiu airport and another trip to England, this time to take on the Magpies in the Champions League on Wednesday. Mentioning that phrase lights him up. This is proving a difficult season for the club, partly because of the requirements of their participation. Defeated late on in the derby on Saturday, they have managed just one win of their last eight matches and lost against Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund in European competition. However, look at the overall situation, the big nights he has lived and upcoming events, and he feels a calm gratitude within him.

In the 36 months since he had come back to Athletic, Guruzeta has been a semi-final participant, denied at the last hurdle a final at home by United, and has boarded a decades-old barge up the Nervión estuary flanked by a million fans after winning the Copa del Rey, the club’s first trophy in 40 years. Now he is the club’s leading marksman in the European competition, where they are unique and making their first appearance in ten years. “I couldn’t have pictured this,” he says.

He considered it difficult enough just to earn a spot and he was right. Born to the former Real Sociedad player his father and a season ticket holder at the team he now opposes, Gorka is from the Antiguoko academy, the local academy that produced Mikel Arteta, Xabi Alonso and the tactician. He signed for Athletic at seventeen but after his top-level debut in the 2018 season, he experienced a serious knee problem, the cut, a demotion and a return before he could earn his place, coming back aged 26 to enjoy the highlights of the club’s history.

“Joining the setup not expecting to reach the top level but each step you go through you’re remaining and you can observe the approach. You get there but … 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. “Then I was sent to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Five, six games at that level and I tear my cruciate.

“A massive setback but I look back on it as something positive because it made me change the perspective. The rehabilitation process is difficult, but it aids growth. You cultivate routines new to you. It’s not that you don’t look after yourself, but I attended practice and then return home, as a youngster does. In the facility, all resources are available, so take full advantage. Practice, prevention. Get in the gym. With hip imbalance, work on that. If your ankles are a 10, make it a 12 or a 14. All those ‘silly things’: execute them.

“Among professionals you’re going to crash into players who have been in battles countless occasions. They’re so strong. I look at photos of me before: I had slender legs. So what happens, happens. Present-day images and it’s totally different. The setback taught me. Training finishes, but there’s more to do. Peers are prepared, really ready; you have to be too.”

Minutes are crucial. The striker moved in tears in the pandemic season, aged 23, dropping into the second division. With Sabadell in the 20-21 campaign, he got three strikes in 40 games. At Amorebieta in the latter part of the season, the he found his form. “It’s a common path: temporary moves, ended deals. If you turn it round, dedication, confidence, and if one day a vacancy arises for your role, they might come back for you. Preparation is key. When they decided to call again, it was a dream come true. The trophy success, compete continentally, and reach the Champions League … pfff.”

Understandably he remarks savor the moment. Especially after the prior campaign which, sometimes, was about endurance. Previously the main threat with sixteen goals, his output dropped to seven in {15 games more|additional matches|