‘All those silly things – do them’: Guruzeta’s road from injury table to scoring with the Basque club

Thehe initial occasion Gorka Guruzeta competed in the UK, an young representing the youth squad against Bundesliga youth at Adams Park in September 2015, he hit the target. On his next visit he played in the country, against the Black Cats two months later, he converted. His third outing, against Manchester City not long later, indeed, he scored again. When he returned to the northwest to play against the Red Devils at Leigh’s ground in that year, he did it once more. An excellent finish, as well. “In fact,” he says, “it’s a top-class goal in my career.” So Athletic did what they had to do: they substituted him.

“I got well angry,” the Athletic striker says, before breaking into laughter. “There must be a video somewhere. We traveled to face United and I performed well. I wasn’t allowed to feature the latter period: I was without a signed my contract, I kept finding the net, there were lots of rumours, you know how it is. No confirmation on interest from Newcastle, but I remember reading about Manchester United, standard transfer gossip. I have no idea if it was accurate, but supposing an offer came, I’d have chosen to stay at Athletic. I’m fortunate to be here.”

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At the facility, the Basque Country, the early training is about to start; post-session, the short journey to Loiu and another flight to Britain, now to play Newcastle in the UCL on Wednesday. Mentioning that phrase lights him up. It has become a difficult season for the club, due in part to the demands of being here. Losing in stoppage time in the derby on Saturday, they have won only one of their last eight matches and been defeated by Arsenal and the German side in European competition. However, take in the big picture, the memorable evenings and upcoming events, and there’s a kind of quiet appreciation about him.

In the 36 months since he had come back to Athletic, Gorka has been a semi-final participant, prevented from reaching a domestic final by United, and has boarded a decades-old barge along the Nervión river accompanied by a million fans after securing the Spanish cup, the team’s initial silverware in 40 years. He’s now Athletic’s top scorer in the Champions League, where they are countercultural and debuting in ten years. “This was beyond my dreams,” he admits.

Guruzeta thought it difficult enough just to make the first team and his assessment was correct. As the child of the one-time rival player his father and a regular attendee at the club that are now his rivals, Guruzeta is a product of Antiguoko, the San Sebastián club that developed the Arsenal manager, the legendary midfielder and the tactician. He signed for Athletic at his teens but after his top-level debut in that summer, he went through a serious knee problem, the cut, a relegation and a call back before he could earn his place, returning at 26 to experience the peak of the club’s history.

“Joining the setup doubting you’ll make the senior squad but each step you progress through you’re still there and you can see it getting closer. You arrive and then … you have to leave.” He had limited game time in half a dozen appearances between his bow and February 2019. “Then I was sent to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Five, six games there and I tear my cruciate.

“A massive setback but In retrospect as a turning point because it shifted the perspective. The rehabilitation process is difficult, but it aids growth. You develop habits previously lacking. It’s not that you don’t look after yourself, but I did the sessions and then head home, like when you’re a kid. At the complex, you have everything, so take full advantage. Training, prehab. Get in the gym. If your hips aren’t balanced, correct it. If your ankles are a 10, make it a 12 or a 14. All those ‘silly things’: do them.

“Among professionals you’re going to crash into players who have experienced contact 200,000 times. Highly robust. I look at photos of me before: my legs are chicken legs. Thus incidents occur. Look at pictures of me now and it’s totally different. Recovery revealed that. Training finishes, but further effort is needed. Peers are prepared, really ready; no exceptions.”

Minutes are crucial. Guruzeta departed in tears in that year, aged 23, moving to a lower level. During his Sabadell spell in 2020-21, he netted three goals in 40 games. At Amorebieta in the following period, the goals started to flow. “It’s a common path: transfers, releases. Should you reverse it, effort, faith, and should the time come they need someone for your role, recall is possible. Readiness is vital. Upon the recall, a fantasy realized. To then win the Copa del Rey, compete continentally, and reach the Champions League … pfff.”

No wonder he says appreciate the experience. Especially after the previous season which, sometimes, was involved suffering. After being leading scorer with sixteen goals, his output dropped to seven in {15 games more|additional matches|