‘All those little things – make sure you do them’: The striker’s journey from gurney to goals with the Basque club

Thehe initial occasion the Spanish forward competed in English soil, an young appearing for the reserve team against Bundesliga youth at Adams Park in the 2015 season, he hit the target. The second time he played in British turf, against the Black Cats weeks after, he scored. His third outing, against Manchester City not long later, well, he repeated the feat. As he revisited to the northwest to face United at the sports complex in 2017, he scored again. An excellent finish, too. “In fact,” he states, “it’s one of the best goals in my career.” So Athletic did their duty: he was replaced.

“I got well angry,” the Athletic striker admits, then chuckling. “Probably there’s a recording. We traveled to face United and I performed well. They kept me out of the latter period: I hadn’t yet signed my contract, I was scoring goals, there were lots of rumours, it’s typical. I’m unsure regarding Newcastle being interested, but I recall seeing about Manchester United, standard transfer gossip. I’m not certain the validity, but even if they had called, my desire was to remain at Bilbao. I’m fortunate to be here.”

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At Lezama, the Basque Country, the early training is about to start; post-session, the quick travel to the airport and a further journey to Britain, now to play Newcastle in the UCL on the upcoming match. Mentioning that phrase lights him up. It’s turning out to be a tough year for the club, partly because of the requirements of their participation. Defeated late on in the local rivalry, they have secured just a single victory of their past eight league games and fallen to the Gunners and Dortmund in the continental stage. Yet, look at the overall situation, the major occasions he’s experienced and upcoming events, and he feels a calm gratitude within him.

In the three years since he had returned to the club, Gorka has been a Europa League semi-finalist, 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 securing the Spanish cup, the first title in four decades. Currently he stands as Athletic’s top scorer in the UCL, where they are distinctive and returning after absence in ten years. “I never imagined this,” he states.

The player believed it hard enough just to make the first team and he was right. The son of the ex-La Real star Xabi Guruzeta and a regular attendee at the club that are now his rivals, Gorka is a graduate of Antiguoko, the Donostiarra team that developed the coach, the former star and Andoni Iraola. His move to Athletic came at his teens but after his top-level debut in that summer, he experienced a ACL injury, dropped, a demotion and a call back before he could earn his place, coming back aged 26 to experience the peak of his career.

“You go into the academy not expecting to reach the senior squad but with every stage you go through you’re remaining and you can observe the approach. You arrive and then … you’re sent away.” He featured briefly in six matches in six games between his debut and that period. “And then I go back down to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Several appearances at that level and I tear my cruciate.

“A severe disappointment but I reflect on it as a beneficial experience because it made me change the way I saw things. Recovering from a long-term injury is difficult, but it aids growth. You cultivate routines you didn’t have. It’s not about neglect, but I would go to training and then go home, typical youth behavior. At Lezama, you have everything, so take full advantage. Practice, prevention. Get in the gym. If your hips aren’t balanced, address that. With decent ankle function, improve it more. Every small aspect: execute them.

“At the top level you’re going to crash into players who have been in battles countless occasions. Highly robust. Seeing previous pictures: I had slender legs. Injuries are inevitable. Present-day images and the improvement is clear. Injury made me see that. Training finishes, but further effort is needed. Everyone else is ready, really ready; no exceptions.”

You also have to play. Guruzeta departed upset in that year, in his early twenties, dropping into the second division. During his Sabadell spell in 2020-21, he got three strikes in numerous matches. At Amorebieta in the second half of 2021-22, the goals started to flow. “It’s a common path: transfers, releases. If you turn it round, dedication, confidence, and if one day the requirement appears where you play, they might come back for you. Preparation is key. When the opportunity came, an aspiration fulfilled. Lifting the cup, compete continentally, and make the UCL … pfff.”

No wonder he says savor the moment. Particularly after the prior campaign which, at times, was involved suffering. From top scorer with a high tally, his output dropped to seven in {15 games more|additional matches|