‘Every minor detail – execute them’: Guruzeta’s journey from injury table to success with Athletic Bilbao

The initial occasion Gorka Guruzeta played in English soil, an 18-year-old representing the reserve team against Bundesliga youth at Wycombe’s stadium in the 2015 season, he found the net. During his subsequent match he appeared in British turf, against Sunderland weeks after, he scored. Another occasion, against Manchester City not long later, sure enough, he repeated the feat. Upon his comeback to the city to play against the Red Devils at the sports complex in that year, he found the back of the net. It was a superb volley, too. “In fact,” he says, “it ranks among my finest I’ve netted.” So Athletic did their duty: they took him off.

“I got well angry,” the Athletic striker admits, and then he starts laughing. “Probably there’s a recording. We went to play United and I was in fine form. They didn’t let me play the second half: I hadn’t yet signed my contract, goals were flowing, there were lots of rumours, as you’d expect. No confirmation on interest from Newcastle, but I came across reports about the Red Devils, the typical thing. I have no idea the validity, but had they contacted me, my desire was to remain at Athletic. I feel lucky to be here.”

La Real relieve strain with extraordinary derby triumph

At the training ground, the Basque Country, the early training is ready to commence; following that, the quick travel to Loiu airport and another flight to England, now to take on the Magpies in the European elite competition on midweek. Mentioning that phrase brings a smile to his face. This is proving a tough year for the club, due in part to the pressures of their participation. Beaten in added time in the local rivalry, they have managed just one win of their last eight matches and been defeated by Arsenal and the German side in Europe. However, consider the broader view, the memorable evenings and those that lie ahead, and there’s a kind of quiet appreciation from him.

In the three years since he had come back to Athletic, Gorka has been a final four contender in Europe, stopped at the gates the showpiece event by United, and has ridden an historic vessel through the waterway surrounded by a million fans after securing the Spanish cup, the first title in 40 years. Now he is Athletic’s top scorer in the UCL, where they are countercultural and debuting in a decade. “I couldn’t have pictured this,” he says.

The player believed it difficult enough just to make the first team and his assessment was correct. The son of the one-time rival player the former professional and a dedicated fan at the opposition side, Guruzeta is a product of Antiguoko, the local academy that produced the coach, the former star and Andoni Iraola. His move to Athletic came at 17 but after making his senior debut in the 2018 season, he went through a ACL injury, being released, a demotion and a call back before he could finally secure an opportunity, making his comeback to experience the peak of his career.

“You go into the academy not expecting to reach the first team but every phase 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 a handful of matches between his first game and early 2019. “Subsequently I returned to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Five, six games at that level and I suffered the ACL injury.

“It was a huge blow but In retrospect as a turning point because it forced me to alter the perspective. Healing from a serious ailment is difficult, but it’s beneficial. You adopt practices you didn’t have. Previously I was casual, but I did the sessions and then go home, as a youngster does. In the facility, all resources are available, so do everything. Practice, prevention. Get in the gym. If your hips aren’t balanced, address that. Assuming ankle mobility is good, improve it more. Every small aspect: perform them.

“At the top level you’re going to collide with opponents who have crashed into players repeatedly. Highly robust. I look at photos of me before: I had slender legs. Injuries are inevitable. Present-day images and the improvement is clear. Injury made me see that. Sessions end, but additional work remains. Everyone else is ready, really ready; you have to be too.”

Game time is essential. He left upset in 2020, in his early twenties, moving to a lower level. At Sabadell in the 20-21 campaign, he got three strikes in 40 games. At Amorebieta in the following period, the scoring picked up. “Many experience this: temporary moves, ended deals. If you turn it round, effort, faith, and when eventually they need someone in your position, recall is possible. Readiness is vital. When they decided to call again, an aspiration fulfilled. Lifting the cup, play in Europe, and make the UCL … pfff.”

No wonder he says savor the moment. Particularly after the prior campaign which, sometimes, was involved suffering. From top scorer with 16 in 2023-24, his output dropped to seven in {15 games more|additional matches|