‘All those little things – make sure you do them’: The striker’s path from gurney to scoring with the Basque club

Thehe first time the Spanish forward played in England, an teenage playing for the youth squad against Borussia Mönchengladbach Under-23s at the English ground in the 2015 season, he found the net. The second time he took the field in British turf, against the English side weeks after, he scored. His third outing, against Pep Guardiola’s team six weeks after that, indeed, he did it once more. When he returned to the city to take on Manchester United at Leigh’s ground in that year, he did it once more. It was a superb volley, as well. “Actually,” he states, “it’s a top-class goal I’ve netted.” Thus the club did what they had to do: they took him off.

“I became very upset,” the attacker admits, and then he starts laughing. “There must be a video somewhere. We traveled to face United and I was in fine form. I wasn’t allowed to feature the final 45 minutes: my contract wasn’t finalized deal, goals were flowing, many stories circulated, it’s typical. I don’t know about interest from Newcastle, but I came across reports about Manchester United, standard transfer gossip. I’m not certain the validity, but supposing an offer came, I would have wanted to stay at Athletic. I’m fortunate to be here.”

La Real relieve strain with extraordinary derby triumph

At the training ground, Bilbao, the morning session is ready to commence; after it, the brief trip to Loiu airport and a further journey to England, now to take on the Magpies in the Champions League on Wednesday. Just saying those two words lights him up. It’s turning out to be a difficult season for the club, partly because of the pressures of competing at this level. Defeated late on in the local rivalry, they have managed just one win of their last eight matches and lost against Arsenal and Dortmund in the continental stage. But, consider the broader view, the major occasions he’s experienced and upcoming events, and he feels a calm gratitude from him.

In the the period since he had returned to the club, Guruzeta has been a semi-final participant, denied at the last hurdle a domestic final by United, and has boarded a decades-old barge along the Nervión river flanked by a huge crowd after winning the Copa del Rey, the team’s initial silverware in 40 years. Currently he stands as Athletic’s top scorer in the UCL, where they are countercultural and making their first appearance in a long period. “This was beyond my dreams,” he says.

The player believed it challenging enough just to make the first team and that proved true. As the child of the one-time rival player the former professional and a season ticket holder at the team he now opposes, the forward is a product of Antiguoko, the San Sebastián club that produced the Arsenal manager, Xabi Alonso and the tactician. His move to Athletic came at his teens but after his top-level debut in the 2018 season, he experienced a torn cruciate, being released, a drop in category 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 not expecting to reach the first team but with every stage you progress through you’re persisting and you can notice the proximity. You get there but … you’re sent away.” He played six, nine, five, one, four and 20 minutes in six games between his bow and that period. “And then I go back down to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Five, six games there and my knee gave way.

“A massive setback but I look back on it as something positive because it shifted the perspective. Healing from a serious ailment is hard, but it helps. You adopt practices previously lacking. Previously I was casual, but I attended practice and then head home, like when you’re a kid. At the complex, you have everything, so do everything. Training, prehab. Strength training. Should your hips be uneven, correct it. Assuming ankle mobility is good, enhance it further. All those ‘silly things’: execute them.

“At the top level you’re going to crash into players who have been in battles 200,000 times. Highly robust. I look at photos of me before: my physique was slight. So what happens, happens. Present-day images and the improvement is clear. The setback taught me. Training finishes, but further effort is needed. Everyone else is ready, really ready; no exceptions.”

You also have to play. Guruzeta departed emotionally in the pandemic season, in his early twenties, moving to a lower level. With Sabadell in the 20-21 campaign, he got three strikes in numerous matches. At Amorebieta in the latter part of the season, the scoring picked up. “It’s a common path: loans, terminated contracts. Should you reverse it, dedication, confidence, and if one day they need someone where you play, they might come back for you. Preparation is key. When they decided to call again, it was a dream come true. To then win the Copa del Rey, compete continentally, and qualify for Europe’s top tier … pfff.”

No wonder he says this is to be enjoyed. Particularly after the prior campaign which, sometimes, was about endurance. From top scorer with a high tally, his output dropped to seven in {15 games more|additional matches|