‘All those silly things – do them’: Guruzeta’s road from injury table to scoring with Athletic
The debut appearance the Spanish forward played in the UK, an young representing the reserve team against Bundesliga youth at Adams Park in the 2015 season, he found the net. On his next visit he played in British turf, against the Black Cats following that, he netted. Another occasion, against Manchester City not long later, well, he repeated the feat. Upon his comeback to the northwest to take on Manchester United at the sports complex in that year, he scored again. It was a superb volley, as well. “Truly,” he states, “it’s a top-class goal in my career.” Thus the club did what was necessary: he was replaced.
“I became very upset,” the attacker reveals, then chuckling. “There must be a video somewhere. We went to play United and I performed well. They kept me out of the second half: I hadn’t yet signed agreement, I kept finding the net, many stories circulated, it’s typical. No confirmation on Newcastle being interested, but I remember reading about the Red Devils, standard transfer gossip. It’s unclear how true it was, but had they contacted me, I’d have chosen to stay at Athletic. I’m fortunate to be here.”
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At the training ground, the city, the early training is about to start; post-session, the short journey to Loiu airport and another trip to Britain, this time to face Newcastle in the UCL on midweek. Uttering the name lights him up. This is proving a difficult season for the club, partially owing to the requirements of being here. Defeated late on in the local rivalry, they have secured just a single victory of their recent league fixtures and lost against Arsenal and Dortmund in the continental stage. But, take in the big picture, the big nights he has lived and those that lie ahead, and a sense of thankful reflection about him.
In the the period since he had rejoined the team, Gorka has been a semi-final participant, stopped at the gates a domestic final by the English giants, and has ridden an historic vessel up the Nervión estuary flanked by a million fans after securing the Spanish cup, the team’s initial silverware in a long wait. He’s now Athletic’s top scorer in the Champions League, where they are countercultural and returning after absence in a decade. “I couldn’t have pictured this,” he states.
He considered it hard enough just to earn a spot and his assessment was correct. As the child of the ex-La Real star his father and a season ticket holder at the club that are now his rivals, Gorka is a graduate of Antiguoko, the San Sebastián club that nurtured the Arsenal manager, the legendary midfielder and the tactician. His move to Athletic came at seventeen but after his top-level debut in August 2018, he experienced a ACL injury, the cut, a demotion and a return before he could finally secure an opportunity, making his comeback to experience the peak of the club’s history.
“You go into the academy thinking you won’t reach the senior squad but with every stage you go through you’re persisting and you can notice the proximity. You get there but … departure is necessary.” He had limited game time in six games between his first game and early 2019. “And then I go back down to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Five, six games there and I suffered the ACL injury.
“A massive setback but In retrospect as a turning point because it forced me to alter the outlook. The rehabilitation process is hard, but it’s beneficial. You develop habits you didn’t have. It’s not that you don’t look after yourself, but I attended practice and then go home, typical youth behavior. At the complex, you have everything, so utilize it all. Practice, prevention. Get in the gym. With hip imbalance, address that. With decent ankle function, improve it more. All the minor details: perform them.
“In the first team you’re going to collide with opponents who have experienced contact countless occasions. Highly robust. Reviewing old images: my legs are chicken legs. Thus incidents occur. Look at pictures of me now and it’s totally different. Injury made me see that. Sessions end, but there’s more to do. Teammates are set, really ready; the same applies.”
You also have to play. He left emotionally in 2020, aged 23, joining the second tier. At Sabadell in the 20-21 campaign, he got three strikes in 40 games. With Amorebieta in the second half of 2021-22, the goals started to flow. “Players go through it: transfers, releases. Should you reverse it, work, believe, and when eventually a vacancy arises for your role, a return could happen. Preparation is key. Upon the recall, an aspiration fulfilled. Lifting the cup, European football, and reach the Champions League … pfff.”
No wonder he says savor the moment. Especially after the previous season which, at times, was about endurance. From top scorer with a high tally, last season he got seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
