‘Every minor detail – execute them’: Guruzeta’s path from gurney to scoring with the Basque club

Whenhe debut appearance the Spanish forward featured in English soil, an 18-year-old representing Athletic Bilbao B against Bundesliga youth at Wycombe’s stadium in the 2015 season, he hit the target. On his next visit he took the field in British turf, against the English side following that, he netted. Another occasion, against Pep Guardiola’s team six weeks after that, indeed, he scored again. As he revisited to the city to play against the Red Devils at the sports complex in the 2017 season, he did it once more. An excellent finish, too. “Truly,” he states, “it’s a top-class goal I’ve netted.” So Athletic did what was necessary: they substituted him.

“I became very upset,” the forward says, then chuckling. “I’m sure there’s footage. We traveled to face United and I performed well. They kept me out of the latter period: my contract wasn’t finalized deal, I was scoring goals, many stories circulated, it’s typical. No confirmation on interest from Newcastle, but I remember reading about Man United, the typical thing. I have no idea if it was accurate, but supposing an offer came, I would have wanted to stay at the club. I feel lucky to be here.”

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At Lezama, the Basque Country, the early training is about to start; following that, the brief trip to the airport and a further journey to the UK, this time to take on the Magpies in the Champions League on the upcoming match. Just saying those two words lights him up. This is proving a difficult season for Athletic, partially owing to the requirements of their participation. Losing in stoppage time in the local rivalry, they have managed just one win of their past eight league games and fallen to the Gunners and the German side in the continental stage. However, look at the overall situation, the memorable evenings and future challenges, and there’s a kind of quiet appreciation within him.

In the 36 months since he had returned to the club, Guruzeta has been a semi-final participant, stopped at the gates the showpiece event by the English giants, and has ridden an historic vessel through the waterway flanked by a million fans after securing the Spanish cup, the club’s first trophy in a long wait. Now he is Athletic’s top scorer in the Champions League, where they are countercultural and returning after absence in a long period. “This was beyond my dreams,” he says.

He considered it challenging enough just to break into the senior squad and he was right. As the child of the ex-La Real star the former professional and a season ticket holder at the opposition side, Gorka is a graduate of Antiguoko, the local academy that developed Mikel Arteta, Xabi Alonso and the tactician. His move to Athletic came at seventeen but after his top-level debut in that summer, he went through a ACL injury, being released, a relegation and a call back before he could earn his place, returning at 26 to live the best days of his career.

“Joining the setup thinking you won’t reach the first team but with every stage you progress through you’re remaining and you can observe the approach. You get there but … you have to leave.” He featured briefly in six matches in six games between his bow and early 2019. “Subsequently I returned to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. A few matches there and I tear my cruciate.

“It was a huge blow but I reflect on it as something positive because it shifted the outlook. Recovering from a long-term injury is difficult, but it helps. You adopt practices previously lacking. It’s not that you don’t look after yourself, but I would go to training and then go home, typical youth behavior. At Lezama, you have everything, so do everything. Training, prehab. Hit the weights. If your hips aren’t balanced, correct it. With decent ankle function, improve it more. Every small aspect: execute them.

“In the first team you’re going to collide with opponents who have been in battles countless occasions. Highly robust. Reviewing old images: my physique was slight. Thus incidents occur. Current photos and the improvement is clear. Recovery revealed that. Training finishes, but additional work remains. Everyone else is ready, really ready; no exceptions.”

Game time is essential. Guruzeta departed emotionally in 2020, in his early twenties, dropping into the second division. During his Sabadell spell in 2020-21, he netted three goals in forty appearances. At Amorebieta in the second half of 2021-22, the he found his form. “Many experience this: loans, terminated contracts. If you turn it round, effort, faith, and when eventually a vacancy arises for your role, they might come back for you. Preparation is key. When they decided to call again, an aspiration fulfilled. Lifting the cup, compete continentally, and reach the Champions League … pfff.”

No wonder he says appreciate the experience. All the more so after the previous season which, sometimes, was about endurance. Previously the main threat with a high tally, last season he got seven in {15 games more|additional matches|