Whenhe first time the Athletic striker competed in England, an young appearing for Athletic Bilbao B against Borussia Mönchengladbach Under-23s at the English ground in the 2015 season, he scored. The second time he took the field in British turf, against the English side following that, he netted. His third outing, against Pep Guardiola’s team not long later, sure enough, he repeated the feat. When he returned to the northwest to play against the Red Devils at Leigh’s ground in that year, he scored again. An excellent finish, too. “Actually,” he remarks, “it’s one of the best goals in my career.” Therefore the team did their duty: they took him off.
“I was furious,” 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 kept me out of the second half: I was without a signed my contract, goals were flowing, many stories circulated, as you’d expect. I don’t know about interest from Newcastle, but I recall seeing about the Red Devils, the usual talk. I’m not certain the validity, but supposing an offer came, I would have wanted to stay at Bilbao. I’m fortunate to be here.”
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At Lezama, Bilbao, the day’s first practice is set to begin; post-session, the short journey to Loiu and another trip to England, this time to play Newcastle in the Champions League on the upcoming match. Just saying those two words makes Guruzeta smile. This is proving a difficult season for the club, 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 Dortmund in the continental stage. But, take in the big picture, the big nights he has lived and those that lie ahead, and he feels a calm gratitude within him.
In the the period since he had returned to the club, Gorka has been a semi-final participant, denied at the last hurdle a domestic final by the English giants, and has traveled on a traditional boat along the Nervión river flanked by a huge crowd after lifting the trophy, the club’s first trophy in a long wait. Currently he stands as Athletic’s top scorer in the Champions League, where they are distinctive and debuting in ten years. “I never imagined this,” he admits.
He considered it difficult enough just to make the first team and that proved true. As the child of the ex-La Real star Xabi Guruzeta and a season ticket holder at the opposition side, the forward is a graduate of Antiguoko, the local academy that nurtured the coach, the former star and the Bournemouth manager. He joined Athletic at his teens but after his first-team bow in August 2018, he experienced a serious knee problem, dropped, a drop in category and a recall before he could earn his place, making his comeback to live the best days of his career.
“You go into the academy doubting you’ll make the first team but with every stage you go through you’re persisting and you can observe the approach. You get there but … departure is necessary.” He featured briefly in six matches in a handful of matches between his bow and early 2019. “And then I go back down to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. A few matches at that level and my knee gave way.
“A massive setback but In retrospect as a beneficial experience because it forced me to alter the way I saw things. Healing from a serious ailment is difficult, but it’s beneficial. You develop habits new to you. It’s not about neglect, but I attended practice and then head home, like when you’re a kid. At Lezama, you have everything, so utilize it all. Practice, prevention. Get in the gym. Should your hips be uneven, work on that. With decent ankle function, improve it more. All the minor details: execute them.
“In the first team you’re going to collide with opponents who have been in battles repeatedly. Highly robust. I look at photos of me before: I had slender legs. Thus incidents occur. Present-day images and the improvement is clear. The setback taught me. Sessions end, but there’s more to do. Peers are prepared, really ready; the same applies.”
Minutes are crucial. He left upset in that year, at 23 years old, joining the second tier. During his Sabadell spell in 2020-21, he netted three goals in 40 games. With Amorebieta in the following period, the scoring picked up. “Players go through it: loans, terminated contracts. Should you reverse it, dedication, confidence, and when eventually the requirement appears in your position, recall is possible. You have to be ready. When the opportunity came, a fantasy realized. Lifting the cup, play in Europe, and qualify for Europe’s top tier … pfff.”
Little surprise he states savor the moment. Particularly after last year which, on occasions, was focused on persistence. After being leading scorer with sixteen goals, his output dropped to seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
