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

Thehe first time the Spanish forward played in England, an teenage representing the reserve team against German opponents at the English ground in fall 2015, he found the net. On his next visit he appeared in England, against Sunderland weeks after, he netted. The third time, against the Citizens six weeks after that, sure enough, he repeated the feat. When he returned to the city to face United at the sports complex in 2017, he did it once more. An excellent finish, also. “In fact,” he says, “it ranks among my finest I’ve ever scored.” Thus the club did what they had to do: they took him off.

“I got well angry,” the Athletic striker says, before breaking into laughter. “I’m sure there’s footage. We went to play United and I was pretty good. I wasn’t allowed to feature the final 45 minutes: I hadn’t yet signed agreement, I kept finding the net, many stories circulated, you know how it is. I don’t know about Newcastle being interested, but I came across reports about the Red Devils, standard transfer gossip. It’s unclear the validity, but supposing an offer came, I would have wanted to stay at Bilbao. It’s a privilege.”

La Real relieve strain with extraordinary derby triumph

At the facility, the Basque Country, the day’s first practice is about to start; after it, the brief trip to the airport and a further journey to England, now to play Newcastle in the UCL on Wednesday. Uttering the name brings a smile to his face. This is proving a challenging campaign for Athletic, partly because of the demands of their participation. Beaten in added time in the derby on Saturday, they have secured just a single victory of their recent league fixtures and been defeated by Arsenal and Dortmund in European competition. However, take in the big picture, the memorable evenings and future challenges, and there’s a kind of quiet appreciation about him.

In the three years since he had come back to Athletic, Gorka has been a final four contender in Europe, denied at the last hurdle a final at home by the English giants, and has ridden an historic vessel through the waterway surrounded by a huge crowd after winning the Copa del Rey, the first title in four decades. He’s now Athletic’s top scorer in the European competition, where they are distinctive and making their first appearance in a long period. “This was beyond my dreams,” he admits.

The player believed it challenging enough just to break into the senior squad and he was right. Born to the ex-La Real star his father and a season ticket holder at the opposition side, Guruzeta is a graduate of Antiguoko, the Donostiarra team that nurtured the coach, the legendary midfielder and Andoni Iraola. He joined Athletic at seventeen but after his first-team bow in the 2018 season, he experienced a serious knee problem, the cut, a demotion and a return before he could earn his place, returning at 26 to enjoy the highlights of his career.

“You go into the academy not expecting to reach the senior squad but each step you progress through you’re remaining and you can observe the approach. You get there but … departure is necessary.” He had limited game time in six games between his first game and that period. “And then I go back down to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. A few matches there and my knee gave way.

“A severe disappointment but I look back on it as a turning point because it shifted the outlook. Healing from a serious ailment is challenging, but it helps. You adopt practices you didn’t have. It’s not about neglect, but I would go to training and then return home, as a youngster does. In the facility, you have everything, so take full advantage. Training, prehab. Strength training. With hip imbalance, address that. With decent ankle function, enhance it further. All the minor details: execute them.

“Among professionals you’re going to face physical challenges who have crashed into players repeatedly. Extremely powerful. Reviewing old images: I had slender legs. Injuries are inevitable. Present-day images and the change is dramatic. Recovery revealed that. Sessions end, but there’s more to do. Teammates are set, really ready; no exceptions.”

You also have to play. He left upset in 2020, at 23 years old, moving to a lower level. With Sabadell in the 20-21 campaign, he got three strikes in 40 games. With Amorebieta in the following period, the goals started to flow. “It’s a common path: loans, terminated contracts. With a turnaround, dedication, confidence, and should the time come they need someone where you play, a return could happen. Readiness is vital. When the opportunity came, a fantasy realized. The trophy success, play in Europe, and qualify for Europe’s top tier … pfff.”

Understandably he remarks appreciate the experience. All the more so after the prior campaign which, sometimes, was focused on persistence. Previously the main threat with 16 in 2023-24, he managed seven in {15 games more|additional matches|