‘Every minor detail – execute them’: Guruzeta’s journey from injury table to scoring with Athletic Bilbao
Whenhe initial occasion the Spanish forward featured in English soil, an teenage representing the youth squad against German opponents at Adams Park in fall 2015, he scored. On his next visit he played in England, against the Black Cats two months later, he converted. Another occasion, against Pep Guardiola’s team soon after, sure enough, he repeated the feat. When he returned to the northwest to face United at Leigh’s ground in 2017, he scored again. It was a superb volley, also. “Actually,” he says, “it ranks among my finest I’ve ever scored.” Therefore the team did their duty: he was replaced.
“I became very upset,” the Athletic striker says, and then he starts laughing. “There must be a video somewhere. We traveled to face United and I was in fine form. They kept me out of the second half: I hadn’t yet signed deal, I was scoring goals, many stories circulated, it’s typical. No confirmation on Newcastle being interested, but I recall seeing about Manchester United, standard transfer gossip. I’m not certain how true it was, but supposing an offer came, my desire was to remain at Bilbao. I’m fortunate to be here.”
Real Sociedad release pressure with surreal victory in Basque derby like no other
At the facility, the city, the morning session is ready to commence; post-session, the brief trip to Loiu airport and a further journey to England, this time to play Newcastle in the UCL on Wednesday. Just saying those two words brings a smile to his face. This is proving a difficult season for the club, partially owing to the pressures of being here. Losing in stoppage time in the derby on Saturday, they have managed just one win of their recent league fixtures and lost against Arsenal and the German side in Europe. Yet, look at the overall situation, the memorable evenings and those that lie ahead, and a sense of thankful reflection within him.
In the three years since he had come back to Athletic, Guruzeta has been a Europa League semi-finalist, denied at the last hurdle the showpiece event by the English giants, and has traveled on a traditional boat along the Nervión river accompanied by a huge crowd after winning the Copa del Rey, the first title in four decades. He’s now the club’s leading marksman in the UCL, where they are unique and making their first appearance in a decade. “This was beyond my dreams,” he admits.
He considered it hard enough just to make the first team and he was right. The son of the one-time rival player the former professional and a dedicated fan at the club that are now his rivals, the forward is from the Antiguoko academy, the San Sebastián club that nurtured the Arsenal manager, the legendary midfielder and the Bournemouth manager. He signed for Athletic at seventeen but after making his senior debut in the 2018 season, he went through a serious knee problem, dropped, a drop in category and a call back before he could earn his place, coming back aged 26 to enjoy the highlights of the club’s history.
“Joining the setup thinking you won’t reach the top level but with every stage you go through you’re persisting and you can observe the approach. You arrive and then … you have to leave.” He had limited game time in six games between his first game and early 2019. “Then I was sent to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. A few matches with them and I tear my cruciate.
“It was a huge blow but I reflect on it as a turning point because it made me change the perspective. The rehabilitation process is hard, but it aids growth. You cultivate routines you didn’t have. It’s not about neglect, but I attended practice and then return home, typical youth behavior. At the complex, all resources are available, so utilize it all. Work, precaution. Get in the gym. Should your hips be uneven, correct it. With decent ankle function, enhance it further. All those ‘silly things’: execute them.
“In the first team you’re going to face physical challenges who have crashed into players 200,000 times. Extremely powerful. Reviewing old images: my physique was slight. So what happens, happens. Current photos and the change is dramatic. Injury made me see that. Practice concludes, but additional work remains. Everyone else is ready, really ready; the same applies.”
Game time is essential. The striker moved emotionally in the pandemic season, aged 23, dropping into the second division. During his Sabadell spell in 2020-21, he scored three times in forty appearances. During his Amorebieta stint in the second half of 2021-22, the scoring picked up. “Players go through it: loans, terminated contracts. If you turn it round, effort, faith, and should the time come a vacancy arises where you play, they might come back for you. You have to be ready. When the opportunity came, an aspiration fulfilled. Lifting the cup, compete continentally, and reach the Champions League … pfff.”
Little surprise he states appreciate the experience. Especially after the previous season which, sometimes, was focused on persistence. After being leading scorer with 16 in 2023-24, last season he got seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
