‘Every minor detail – execute them’: The striker’s journey from gurney to scoring with Athletic
The initial occasion Gorka Guruzeta featured in English soil, an 18-year-old representing the reserve team against Borussia Mönchengladbach Under-23s at the English ground in fall 2015, he found the net. The second time he took the field in the country, against Sunderland two months later, he netted. His third outing, against the Citizens soon after, well, he did it once more. Upon his comeback to the northwest to face United at Leigh’s ground in 2017, he did it once more. It was a superb volley, as well. “Actually,” he states, “it ranks among my finest I’ve ever scored.” Therefore the team did their duty: they took him off.
“I was furious,” the Athletic striker reveals, and then he starts laughing. “There must be a video somewhere. We went to play United and I performed well. I wasn’t allowed to feature the second half: I hadn’t yet signed my contract, I kept finding the net, speculation was rife, as you’d expect. No confirmation on interest from Newcastle, but I remember reading about the Red Devils, the usual talk. I have no idea if it was accurate, but supposing an offer came, my desire was to remain at the club. I’m fortunate to be here.”
Real Sociedad release pressure with surreal victory in Basque derby like no other
At Lezama, the city, the day’s first practice is set to begin; post-session, the short journey to Loiu and a further journey to England, now to play Newcastle in the Champions League on the upcoming match. Mentioning that phrase makes Guruzeta smile. It’s turning out to be a tough year for the club, due in part to the pressures of competing at this level. Beaten in added time in the derby on Saturday, they have won only one of their past eight league games and lost against Arsenal and Dortmund in the continental stage. But, look at the overall situation, the major occasions he’s experienced and upcoming events, and there’s a kind of quiet appreciation from him.
In the three years since he had rejoined the team, the striker has been a Europa League semi-finalist, denied at the last hurdle a final at home by Manchester United, and has traveled on a traditional boat up the Nervión estuary surrounded by countless supporters after winning the Copa del Rey, the first title in a long wait. He’s now the club’s leading marksman in the European competition, where they are countercultural and debuting in a long period. “I couldn’t have pictured this,” he states.
Guruzeta thought it difficult enough just to earn a spot and his assessment was correct. As the child of the former Real Sociedad player the former professional and a dedicated fan at the team he now opposes, Guruzeta is from the Antiguoko academy, the San Sebastián club that nurtured the coach, Xabi Alonso and the Bournemouth manager. He signed for Athletic at seventeen but after his first-team bow in the 2018 season, he went through a serious knee problem, dropped, a demotion and a return before he could truly get a chance, making his comeback to live the best days of his career.
“You go into the academy thinking you won’t reach the first team but with every stage you go through you’re still there and you can see it getting closer. You make it and … you have to leave.” He featured briefly in six matches in half a dozen appearances between his first game and February 2019. “Then I was sent to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. A few matches there and I suffered the ACL injury.
“A massive setback but I reflect on it as a beneficial experience because it forced me to alter the perspective. Healing from a serious ailment is challenging, but it helps. You develop habits new to you. It’s not that you don’t look after yourself, but I would go to training and then head home, as a youngster does. In the facility, all resources are available, so take full advantage. Training, prehab. Get in the gym. With hip imbalance, address that. With decent ankle function, enhance it further. Every small aspect: do them.
“Among professionals you’re going to collide with opponents who have experienced contact 200,000 times. They’re so strong. Seeing previous pictures: I had slender legs. Thus incidents occur. Look at pictures of me now and the change is dramatic. Recovery revealed that. Training finishes, but there’s more to do. Teammates are set, really ready; you have to be too.”
Minutes are crucial. Guruzeta departed emotionally in 2020, aged 23, dropping into the second division. At Sabadell in the 20-21 campaign, he netted three goals in forty appearances. During his Amorebieta stint in the following period, the goals started to flow. “Players go through it: temporary moves, ended deals. Should you reverse it, work, believe, and when eventually a vacancy arises for your role, they might come back for you. Preparation is key. Upon the recall, an aspiration fulfilled. To then win the Copa del Rey, compete continentally, and qualify for Europe’s top tier … pfff.”
No wonder he says appreciate the experience. Particularly after the prior campaign which, at times, was about endurance. Previously the main threat with sixteen goals, his output dropped to seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
