‘All those silly things – do them’: Guruzeta’s path from injury table to goals with Athletic Bilbao
The initial occasion the Spanish forward played in English soil, an 18-year-old representing the reserve team against Borussia Mönchengladbach Under-23s at Wycombe’s stadium in fall 2015, he found the net. On his next visit he took the field in England, against Sunderland following that, he converted. The third time, against the Citizens six weeks after that, indeed, he did it once more. Upon his comeback to Manchester to face United at Leigh’s ground in that year, he did it once more. An excellent finish, as well. “Actually,” he remarks, “it’s a top-class goal I’ve netted.” Therefore the team did what they had to do: they substituted him.
“I got well angry,” the forward says, before breaking into laughter. “I’m sure there’s footage. Our match against United and I was in fine form. I wasn’t allowed to feature the latter period: my contract wasn’t finalized my contract, goals were flowing, many stories circulated, as you’d expect. I don’t know about interest from Newcastle, but I came across reports about Man United, the typical thing. It’s unclear if it was accurate, but even if they had called, I would have wanted to stay at Athletic. It’s a privilege.”
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At Lezama, Bilbao, the early training is about to start; following that, the quick travel to the airport and another trip to England, on this occasion to take on the Magpies in the European elite competition on midweek. Mentioning that phrase brings a smile to his face. It has become a tough year for the team, due in part to the pressures of their participation. Defeated late on in the weekend clash, they have won only one of their last eight matches and fallen to the Gunners and Borussia Dortmund in Europe. But, look at the overall situation, the big nights he has lived and future challenges, and he feels a calm gratitude about him.
In the 36 months since he had returned to the club, the striker has been a Europa League semi-finalist, stopped at the gates a domestic final by United, and has ridden an historic vessel up the Nervión estuary flanked by a huge crowd after winning the Copa del Rey, the first title in a long wait. Currently he stands as the top goal-getter in the Champions League, where they are countercultural and debuting in ten years. “I never imagined this,” he admits.
The player believed it hard enough just to break into the senior squad and his assessment was correct. The son of the one-time rival player his father and a regular attendee at the team he now opposes, the forward is a graduate of Antiguoko, the local academy that developed the coach, Xabi Alonso and the tactician. He joined Athletic at 17 but after his top-level debut in August 2018, he suffered a torn cruciate, dropped, a drop in category and a call back before he could truly get a chance, making his comeback to live the best days of the club’s history.
“You go into the academy doubting you’ll make the first team but every phase you progress through you’re persisting and you can see it getting closer. You arrive and then … departure is necessary.” He had limited game time in half a dozen appearances between his first game and early 2019. “Subsequently I returned to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. A few matches at that level and I tear my cruciate.
“A massive setback but In retrospect as a beneficial experience because it shifted the way I saw things. Recovering from a long-term injury is hard, but it’s beneficial. You develop habits you didn’t have. Previously I was casual, but I attended practice and then return home, typical youth behavior. At the complex, you have everything, so do everything. Work, precaution. Strength training. With hip imbalance, address that. With decent ankle function, enhance it further. All those ‘silly things’: perform them.
“Among professionals you’re going to crash into players who have experienced contact countless occasions. Highly robust. Seeing previous pictures: my legs are chicken legs. So what happens, happens. Current photos and the change is dramatic. Injury made me see that. Training finishes, but further effort is needed. Teammates are set, really ready; you have to be too.”
Game time is essential. He left emotionally in the pandemic season, aged 23, moving to a lower level. At Sabadell in that season, he scored three times in numerous matches. With Amorebieta in the following period, the goals started to flow. “It’s a common path: transfers, releases. Should you reverse it, effort, faith, and should the time come the requirement appears for your role, they might come back for you. You have to be ready. Upon the recall, it was a dream come true. The trophy success, compete continentally, and make the UCL … pfff.”
Understandably he remarks savor the moment. Particularly after last year which, on occasions, was involved suffering. From top scorer with 16 in 2023-24, he managed seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
