‘All those silly things – do them’: The striker’s path from rehabilitation to scoring with Athletic
The initial occasion the Spanish forward competed in England, an young representing the youth squad against Bundesliga youth at Wycombe’s stadium in fall 2015, he scored. The second time he took the field in England, against Sunderland two months later, he scored. The third time, against Manchester City soon after, indeed, he repeated the feat. Upon his comeback to the city to face United at Leigh’s ground in that year, he did it once more. An excellent finish, also. “Actually,” he remarks, “it ranks among my finest I’ve netted.” Therefore the team did what was necessary: they took him off.
“I became very upset,” the attacker says, then chuckling. “Probably there’s a recording. We went to play United and I was pretty good. They didn’t let me play the second half: I was without a signed deal, I kept finding the net, there were lots of rumours, it’s typical. No confirmation on the Magpies’ pursuit, but I recall seeing about Man United, the usual talk. I have no idea how true it was, but even if they had called, my desire was to remain at Athletic. It’s a privilege.”
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At the facility, the Basque Country, the early training is about to start; post-session, the brief trip to Loiu airport and another trip to Britain, on this occasion to play Newcastle in the European elite competition on midweek. Mentioning that phrase brings a smile to his face. It’s turning out to be a tough year for Athletic, due in part to the requirements of competing at this level. Losing in stoppage time in the weekend clash, they have won only one of their last eight matches and lost against Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund in the continental stage. But, consider the broader view, the big nights he has lived and future challenges, and he feels a calm gratitude about him.
In the the period since he had come back to Athletic, Gorka has been a semi-final participant, prevented from reaching a final at home by United, and has traveled on a traditional boat along the Nervión river flanked by a huge crowd after securing the Spanish cup, the first title in 40 years. Currently he stands as Athletic’s top scorer in the Champions League, where they are distinctive and debuting in a decade. “This was beyond my dreams,” he says.
He considered it challenging enough just to make the first team and he was right. The son of the one-time rival player Xabi Guruzeta and a season ticket holder at the opposition side, Guruzeta is from the Antiguoko academy, the local academy that nurtured the coach, the legendary midfielder and the tactician. He joined Athletic at 17 but after his first-team bow in the 2018 season, he suffered a torn cruciate, the cut, a relegation and a recall before he could truly get a chance, returning at 26 to enjoy the highlights of their lives.
“Joining the setup thinking you won’t reach the top level but every phase you go through you’re persisting and you can see it getting closer. You arrive and then … departure is necessary.” He had limited game time in a handful of matches between his bow and February 2019. “Subsequently I returned to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Five, six games with them and I suffered the ACL injury.
“It was a huge blow but In retrospect as a beneficial experience because it forced me to alter 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 that you don’t look after yourself, but I attended practice and then go home, as a youngster does. At the complex, all resources are available, so utilize it all. Training, prehab. Strength training. With hip imbalance, address that. If your ankles are a 10, improve it more. All the minor details: do them.
“Among professionals you’re going to crash into players who have experienced contact repeatedly. Extremely powerful. Seeing previous pictures: my physique was slight. Thus incidents occur. Current photos and the improvement is clear. The setback taught me. Sessions end, but there’s more to do. Peers are prepared, really ready; the same applies.”
Minutes are crucial. Guruzeta departed in tears in that year, in his early twenties, dropping into the second division. During his Sabadell spell in the 20-21 campaign, he netted three goals in 40 games. At Amorebieta in the following period, the goals started to flow. “Many experience this: loans, terminated contracts. Should you reverse it, effort, faith, and when eventually they need someone where you play, recall is possible. Readiness is vital. When the opportunity came, a fantasy realized. To then win the Copa del Rey, play in Europe, and reach the Champions League … pfff.”
No wonder he says appreciate the experience. All the more so after the prior campaign which, on occasions, was about endurance. After being leading scorer with 16 in 2023-24, his output dropped to seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
