‘All those silly things – do them’: Guruzeta’s journey from gurney to success with Athletic Bilbao
Whenhe debut appearance the Athletic striker featured in the UK, an teenage playing for the youth squad against Borussia Mönchengladbach Under-23s at Adams Park in the 2015 season, he scored. On his next visit he played in the country, against the English side two months later, he converted. His third outing, against Manchester City six weeks after that, sure enough, he scored again. As he revisited to Manchester to take on Manchester United at Leigh Sports Village in 2017, he scored again. It was a superb volley, as well. “In fact,” he says, “it’s a top-class goal in my career.” So Athletic did what they had to do: he was replaced.
“I was furious,” the attacker admits, then chuckling. “Probably there’s a recording. Our match against United and I was pretty good. I wasn’t allowed to feature the latter period: my contract wasn’t finalized agreement, goals were flowing, many stories circulated, as you’d expect. I’m unsure regarding Newcastle being interested, but I recall seeing about the Red Devils, the usual talk. I have no idea if it was accurate, but had they contacted me, I would have wanted to stay at Athletic. I feel lucky to be here.”
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At Lezama, Bilbao, the morning session is about to start; following that, the brief trip to Loiu and another trip to the UK, this time to take on the Magpies in the UCL on Wednesday. Uttering the name brings a smile to his face. This is proving a challenging campaign for the team, due in part to the pressures of being here. Beaten in added time in the derby on Saturday, they have managed just one win of their last eight matches and fallen to the Gunners and Dortmund in the continental stage. But, look at the overall situation, the major occasions he’s experienced and those that lie ahead, and there’s a kind of quiet appreciation about him.
In the three years since he had come back to Athletic, Guruzeta has been a Europa League semi-finalist, prevented from reaching a final at home by Manchester United, and has boarded a decades-old barge through the waterway flanked by a million fans after securing the Spanish cup, the club’s first trophy in 40 years. Now he is the club’s leading marksman in the UCL, where they are unique and returning after absence in ten years. “I never imagined this,” he says.
Guruzeta thought it hard enough just to earn a spot and that proved true. As the child of the former Real Sociedad player the former professional and a dedicated fan at the club that are now his rivals, the forward is from the Antiguoko academy, the Donostiarra team that produced the coach, the former star and Andoni Iraola. His move to Athletic came at seventeen but after his first-team bow in August 2018, he suffered a ACL injury, being released, a drop in category and a return before he could finally secure an opportunity, making his comeback to enjoy the highlights of their lives.
“Joining the setup doubting you’ll make the senior squad but each step you advance through you’re remaining and you can notice the proximity. You make it and … departure is necessary.” He had limited game time in half a dozen appearances between his bow and February 2019. “And then I go back down to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. A few matches there and I tear my cruciate.
“A severe disappointment but I look back on it as something positive because it forced me to alter the outlook. Recovering from a long-term injury is hard, but it’s beneficial. You develop habits new to you. It’s not about neglect, but I did the sessions and then go home, as a youngster does. At the complex, all resources are available, so do everything. Practice, prevention. Strength training. Should your hips be uneven, work on that. With decent ankle function, improve it more. All those ‘silly things’: execute them.
“At the top level you’re going to face physical challenges who have crashed into players countless occasions. Highly robust. Seeing previous pictures: my legs are chicken legs. Thus incidents occur. Present-day images and it’s totally different. The setback taught me. Training finishes, but additional work remains. Peers are prepared, really ready; you have to be too.”
Game time is essential. He left in tears in 2020, aged 23, dropping into the second division. At Sabadell in that season, he scored three times in forty appearances. With Amorebieta in the latter part of the season, the scoring picked up. “Many experience this: temporary moves, ended deals. With a turnaround, dedication, confidence, and if one day the requirement appears for your role, a return could happen. You have to be ready. When the opportunity came, an aspiration fulfilled. The trophy success, European football, and make the UCL … pfff.”
No wonder he says savor the moment. Especially after the previous season which, at times, was focused on persistence. After being leading scorer with sixteen goals, last season he got seven in {15 games more|additional matches|