‘All those little things – make sure you do them’: Guruzeta’s road from rehabilitation to goals with the Basque club
Thehe initial occasion the Spanish forward featured in the UK, an teenage playing for the reserve team against Borussia Mönchengladbach Under-23s at Adams Park in September 2015, he hit the target. The second time he played in England, against the English side two months later, he converted. His third outing, against the Citizens six weeks after that, indeed, he repeated the feat. When he returned to Manchester to take on Manchester United at the sports complex in the 2017 season, he found the back of the net. An excellent finish, too. “Actually,” he says, “it’s one of the best goals I’ve netted.” Therefore the team did their duty: they substituted him.
“I got well angry,” the attacker reveals, then chuckling. “Probably there’s a recording. Our match against United and I performed well. They kept me out of the latter period: I was without a signed deal, I kept finding the net, speculation was rife, as you’d expect. I don’t know about the Magpies’ pursuit, but I came across reports about Manchester United, standard transfer gossip. I have no idea the validity, but even if they had called, I’d have chosen to stay at Athletic. I’m fortunate to be here.”
La Real relieve strain with extraordinary derby triumph
At Lezama, the Basque Country, the early training is set to begin; following that, the brief trip to the airport and a further journey to the UK, this time to face Newcastle in the Champions League on midweek. Mentioning that phrase makes Guruzeta smile. It has become a difficult season for the club, partly because of the requirements of being here. Defeated late on in the local rivalry, they have won only one of their recent league fixtures and lost against Arsenal and Dortmund in European competition. However, consider the broader view, the major occasions he’s experienced and those that lie ahead, and he feels a calm gratitude from him.
In the the period since he had returned to the club, Gorka has been a final four contender in Europe, prevented from reaching the showpiece event by Manchester United, and has ridden an historic vessel up the Nervión estuary accompanied by countless supporters after winning the Copa del Rey, the club’s first trophy in a long wait. He’s now Athletic’s top scorer in the European competition, where they are unique and making their first appearance in a decade. “This was beyond my dreams,” he admits.
The player believed it difficult enough just to earn a spot and that proved true. The son of the former Real Sociedad player Xabi Guruzeta and a dedicated fan at the team he now opposes, Guruzeta is a product of Antiguoko, the San Sebastián club that produced Mikel Arteta, Xabi Alonso and the Bournemouth manager. He joined Athletic at his teens but after his top-level debut in August 2018, he suffered a serious knee problem, being released, a relegation and a recall before he could finally secure an opportunity, making his comeback to live the best days of the club’s history.
“Joining the setup thinking you won’t reach the first team but every phase you advance through you’re remaining and you can see it getting closer. You arrive and then … departure is necessary.” He played six, nine, five, one, four and 20 minutes in six games between his bow and February 2019. “And then I go back down to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Several appearances there and my knee gave way.
“It was a huge blow but I look back on it as something positive because it made me change the perspective. Healing from a serious ailment is hard, but it aids growth. You adopt practices new to you. Previously I was casual, but I would go to training and then go home, like when you’re a kid. At the complex, all resources are available, so utilize it all. Work, precaution. Get in the gym. With hip imbalance, correct it. Assuming ankle mobility is good, make it a 12 or a 14. Every small aspect: perform them.
“Among professionals you’re going to face physical challenges who have been in battles countless occasions. Highly robust. Reviewing old images: my physique was slight. Injuries are inevitable. Look at pictures of me now and the improvement is clear. The setback taught me. Practice concludes, but additional work remains. Everyone else is ready, really ready; you have to be too.”
You also have to play. The striker moved in tears in the pandemic season, aged 23, dropping into the second division. With Sabadell in 2020-21, he scored three times in forty appearances. At Amorebieta in the second half of 2021-22, the scoring picked up. “It’s a common path: temporary moves, ended deals. If you turn it round, effort, faith, and should the time come a vacancy arises for your role, a return could happen. Readiness is vital. Upon the recall, a fantasy realized. The trophy success, compete continentally, and make the UCL … pfff.”
Little surprise he states this is to be enjoyed. All the more so after the prior campaign which, at times, was focused on persistence. From top scorer with 16 in 2023-24, last season he got seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
