‘Every minor detail – execute them’: Guruzeta’s road from injury table to success with Athletic Bilbao
Whenhe first time Gorka Guruzeta competed in England, an 18-year-old appearing for Athletic Bilbao B against German opponents at Adams Park in fall 2015, he found the net. The second time he appeared in England, against the Black Cats two months later, he netted. His third outing, against Pep Guardiola’s team not long later, well, he repeated the feat. As he revisited to the northwest to play against the Red Devils at Leigh Sports Village in 2017, he did it once more. An excellent finish, also. “Actually,” he states, “it ranks among my finest in my career.” Thus the club did their duty: they substituted him.
“I became very upset,” the forward says, then chuckling. “There must be a video somewhere. We went to play United and I was in fine form. I wasn’t allowed to feature the latter period: I hadn’t yet signed agreement, I was scoring goals, many stories circulated, you know how it is. I’m unsure regarding interest from Newcastle, but I recall seeing about Man United, the typical thing. It’s unclear if it was accurate, but supposing an offer came, I’d have chosen to stay at Athletic. I feel lucky to be here.”
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At Lezama, Bilbao, the morning session is ready to commence; after it, the brief trip to the airport and another trip to Britain, on this occasion to play Newcastle in the UCL on the upcoming match. Mentioning that phrase lights him up. It’s turning out to be a difficult season for the team, partly because of the demands of being here. Losing in stoppage time in the local rivalry, they have managed just one win of their last eight matches and been defeated by Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund in European competition. Yet, look at the overall situation, the memorable evenings and future challenges, and there’s a kind of quiet appreciation about him.
In the the period since he had rejoined the team, the striker has been a Europa League semi-finalist, denied at the last hurdle a final at home by the English giants, and has traveled on a traditional boat through the waterway accompanied by countless supporters after securing the Spanish cup, the first title in 40 years. Now he is the club’s leading marksman in the European competition, where they are countercultural and making their first appearance in ten years. “I couldn’t have pictured this,” he states.
Guruzeta thought it hard enough just to break into the senior squad and he was right. As the child of the former Real Sociedad player the former professional and a regular attendee at the opposition side, the forward is from the Antiguoko academy, the local academy that developed the Arsenal manager, the former star and the Bournemouth manager. His move to Athletic came at his teens but after his top-level debut in that summer, he suffered a serious knee problem, being released, a relegation and a call back before he could finally secure an opportunity, returning at 26 to live the best days of the club’s history.
“You go into the academy doubting you’ll make the top level but with every stage you advance through you’re still there and you can observe the approach. You arrive and then … you have to leave.” He played six, nine, five, one, four and 20 minutes in six games between his bow and February 2019. “Subsequently I returned to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Five, six games with them and I tear my cruciate.
“A severe disappointment but I look back on it as a turning point because it forced me to alter the way I saw things. Healing from a serious ailment is challenging, but it’s beneficial. You develop habits previously lacking. It’s not that you don’t look after yourself, but I attended practice and then head home, as a youngster does. At the complex, you have everything, so take full advantage. Work, precaution. Strength training. Should your hips be uneven, address that. If your ankles are a 10, improve it more. All the minor details: execute them.
“At the top level you’re going to crash into players who have crashed into players countless occasions. Extremely powerful. Seeing previous pictures: my legs are chicken legs. Injuries are inevitable. Present-day images and it’s totally different. Injury made me see that. Training finishes, but additional work remains. Everyone else is ready, really ready; the same applies.”
Game time is essential. He left upset in 2020, in his early twenties, dropping into the second division. At Sabadell in the 20-21 campaign, he scored three times in numerous matches. During his Amorebieta stint in the following period, the goals started to flow. “Players go through it: temporary moves, ended deals. If you turn it round, work, believe, and when eventually the requirement appears in your position, recall is possible. You have to be ready. Upon the recall, a fantasy realized. The trophy success, compete continentally, and make the UCL … pfff.”
Little surprise he states savor the moment. All the more so after the prior campaign which, at times, was about endurance. From top scorer with 16 in 2023-24, he managed seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
