‘All those little things – make sure you do them’: The striker’s road from rehabilitation to success with the Basque club

Whenhe initial occasion Gorka Guruzeta played in England, an 18-year-old playing for Athletic Bilbao B against German opponents at the English ground in the 2015 season, he hit the target. On his next visit he took the field in the country, against the Black Cats weeks after, he converted. His third outing, against the Citizens soon after, sure enough, he did it once more. Upon his comeback to the northwest to play against the Red Devils at Leigh Sports Village in the 2017 season, he found the back of the net. A spectacular strike, as well. “In fact,” he remarks, “it ranks among my finest in my career.” So Athletic did what they had to do: they took him off.

“I became very upset,” the Athletic striker reveals, and then he starts laughing. “I’m sure there’s footage. We went to play United and I performed well. They didn’t let me play the final 45 minutes: my contract wasn’t finalized agreement, goals were flowing, many stories circulated, you know how it is. I don’t know about the Magpies’ pursuit, but I remember reading about Manchester United, standard transfer gossip. I’m not certain how true it was, but even if they had called, I would have wanted to stay at Athletic. I feel lucky to be here.”

La Real relieve strain with extraordinary derby triumph

At the facility, the Basque Country, the morning session is about to start; post-session, the short journey to the airport and a further journey to the UK, this time to take on the Magpies in the Champions League on midweek. Uttering the name lights him up. This is proving a challenging campaign for the team, due in part to the pressures of competing at this level. Beaten in added time in the local rivalry, they have managed just one win of their recent league fixtures and lost against Arsenal and the German side in Europe. But, consider the broader view, the memorable evenings and future challenges, and there’s a kind of quiet appreciation about him.

In the three years since he had returned to the club, Guruzeta has been a Europa League semi-finalist, denied at the last hurdle the showpiece event by United, and has traveled on a traditional boat up the Nervión estuary accompanied by a huge crowd after winning the Copa del Rey, the first title in four decades. Currently he stands as Athletic’s top scorer in the Champions League, where they are unique and returning after absence in a decade. “This was beyond my dreams,” he says.

He considered it hard enough just to make the first team and that proved true. As the child of the ex-La Real star his father and a dedicated fan at the team he now opposes, Guruzeta is from the Antiguoko academy, the Donostiarra team that developed the coach, the legendary midfielder and the Bournemouth manager. His move to Athletic came at seventeen but after making his senior debut in the 2018 season, he suffered a ACL injury, the cut, a drop in category and a recall before he could truly get a chance, making his comeback to enjoy the highlights of the club’s history.

“Joining the setup thinking you won’t reach the senior squad but every phase you advance through you’re persisting and you can see it getting closer. You arrive and then … you have to leave.” He featured briefly in six matches in a handful of matches between his first game and early 2019. “And then I go back down to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Several appearances at that level and I tear my cruciate.

“A severe disappointment but I reflect on it as a beneficial experience because it made me change the perspective. Healing from a serious ailment is challenging, but it helps. You cultivate routines previously lacking. It’s not that you don’t look after yourself, but I did the sessions and then head home, like when you’re a kid. At Lezama, facilities are comprehensive, so do everything. Work, precaution. Hit the weights. With hip imbalance, correct it. If your ankles are a 10, make it a 12 or a 14. All those ‘silly things’: perform them.

“Among professionals you’re going to face physical challenges who have been in battles countless occasions. They’re so strong. Reviewing old images: my legs are chicken legs. So what happens, happens. Present-day images and it’s totally different. Injury made me see that. Practice concludes, but additional work remains. Teammates are set, really ready; the same applies.”

You also have to play. The striker moved emotionally in 2020, in his early twenties, dropping into the second division. With Sabadell in that season, he got three strikes in forty appearances. At Amorebieta in the following period, the he found his form. “It’s a common path: loans, terminated contracts. If you turn it round, effort, faith, and if one day the requirement appears for your role, they might come back for you. You have to be ready. When they decided to call again, it was a dream come true. The trophy success, European football, and make the UCL … pfff.”

Little surprise he states this is to be enjoyed. Particularly after last year which, sometimes, was focused on persistence. After being leading scorer with 16 in 2023-24, he managed seven in {15 games more|additional matches|