‘All those silly things – do them’: The striker’s road from gurney to success with Athletic Bilbao
Whenhe initial occasion Gorka Guruzeta played in English soil, an 18-year-old representing the youth squad against Bundesliga youth at the English ground in September 2015, he found the net. The second time he appeared in the country, against Sunderland weeks after, he converted. His third outing, against the Citizens six weeks after that, indeed, he scored again. As he revisited to the city to face United at Leigh’s ground in that year, he scored again. A spectacular strike, too. “Actually,” he says, “it’s a top-class goal in my career.” Therefore the team did what they had to do: they took him off.
“I got well angry,” the Athletic striker reveals, then chuckling. “I’m sure there’s footage. We traveled to face United and I was pretty good. They didn’t let me play the second half: my contract wasn’t finalized agreement, I was scoring goals, many stories circulated, as you’d expect. I’m unsure regarding interest from Newcastle, but I recall seeing about Man United, the typical thing. It’s unclear the validity, but had they contacted me, I’d have chosen to stay at Athletic. It’s a privilege.”
Real Sociedad release pressure with surreal victory in Basque derby like no other
At the training ground, the Basque Country, the day’s first practice is set to begin; following that, the quick travel to Loiu airport and a further journey to England, on this occasion to play Newcastle in the Champions League on the upcoming match. Uttering the name lights him up. It has become a challenging campaign for Athletic, due in part to the requirements of their participation. Defeated late on in the local rivalry, they have secured just a single victory of their last eight matches and been defeated by Arsenal and Dortmund in European competition. Yet, consider the broader view, the memorable evenings and upcoming events, and there’s a kind of quiet appreciation from him.
In the 36 months since he had come back to Athletic, Gorka has been a semi-final participant, prevented from reaching the showpiece event by Manchester United, and has traveled on a traditional boat through the waterway surrounded by a huge crowd after securing the Spanish cup, the first title in a long wait. He’s now the top goal-getter in the UCL, where they are distinctive and making their first appearance in a decade. “This was beyond my dreams,” he states.
The player believed it hard enough just to earn a spot and that proved true. As the child of the ex-La Real star his father and a season ticket holder at the team he now opposes, the forward is from the Antiguoko academy, the San Sebastián club that produced the coach, the legendary midfielder and the tactician. He joined Athletic at his teens but after his first-team bow in August 2018, he experienced a torn cruciate, dropped, a demotion and a return before he could truly get a chance, returning at 26 to live the best days of the club’s history.
“Entering the youth system doubting you’ll make the senior squad but every phase you advance through you’re remaining and you can see it getting closer. You get there but … you have to leave.” He played six, nine, five, one, four and 20 minutes in six games between his first game and February 2019. “Then I was sent to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Several appearances there and my knee gave way.
“A massive setback but In retrospect as a turning point because it made me change the outlook. Healing from a serious ailment is difficult, but it aids growth. You adopt practices you didn’t have. It’s not about neglect, but I would go to training and then return home, typical youth behavior. At the complex, all resources are available, so take full advantage. Work, precaution. Get in the gym. Should your hips be uneven, address that. If your ankles are a 10, enhance it further. Every small aspect: do them.
“In the first team you’re going to collide with opponents who have crashed into players 200,000 times. They’re so strong. I look at photos of me before: I had slender legs. Thus incidents occur. Look at pictures of me now and the change is dramatic. Injury made me see that. Sessions end, but additional work remains. Everyone else is ready, really ready; the same applies.”
You also have to play. The striker moved emotionally in 2020, in his early twenties, moving to a lower level. At Sabadell in the 20-21 campaign, he netted three goals in 40 games. With Amorebieta in the following period, the he found his form. “It’s a common path: loans, terminated contracts. With a turnaround, dedication, confidence, and should the time come a vacancy arises for your role, recall is possible. You have to be ready. Upon the recall, an aspiration fulfilled. Lifting the cup, compete continentally, and qualify for Europe’s top tier … pfff.”
Understandably he remarks this is to be enjoyed. Particularly after the prior campaign which, at times, was involved suffering. After being leading scorer with a high tally, his output dropped to seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
