‘Every minor detail – execute them’: Guruzeta’s road from gurney to success with the Basque club
The first time Gorka Guruzeta featured in the UK, an teenage appearing for the youth squad against Borussia Mönchengladbach Under-23s at the English ground in fall 2015, he found the net. During his subsequent match he appeared in British turf, against Sunderland weeks after, he scored. His third outing, against the Citizens not long later, sure enough, he repeated the feat. Upon his comeback to the city to face United at Leigh’s ground in that year, he did it once more. It was a superb volley, as well. “In fact,” he says, “it ranks among my finest I’ve netted.” So Athletic did their duty: they substituted him.
“I got well angry,” the attacker admits, then chuckling. “Probably there’s a recording. Our match against United and I was in fine form. They didn’t let me play the latter period: my contract wasn’t finalized deal, I was scoring goals, many stories circulated, as you’d expect. No confirmation on interest from Newcastle, but I remember reading about the Red Devils, standard transfer gossip. I’m not certain how true it was, but supposing an offer came, my desire was to remain at the club. It’s a privilege.”
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At the facility, the city, the early training is set to begin; post-session, the brief trip to Loiu airport and another flight to the UK, now to take on the Magpies in the European elite competition on Wednesday. Just saying those two words brings a smile to his face. It has become a difficult season for Athletic, partially owing to the pressures of competing at this level. Losing in stoppage time in the weekend clash, they have secured just a single victory of their recent league fixtures and lost against Arsenal and Dortmund in Europe. But, look at the overall situation, the major occasions he’s experienced and upcoming events, and he feels a calm gratitude within him.
In the 36 months since he had returned to the club, the striker has been a Europa League semi-finalist, denied at the last hurdle a domestic final by the English giants, and has ridden an historic vessel through the waterway accompanied by a million fans after winning the Copa del Rey, the team’s initial silverware in a long wait. Currently he stands as the club’s leading marksman in the Champions League, where they are unique and making their first appearance in a decade. “I couldn’t have pictured this,” he says.
The player believed it hard enough just to make the first team and that proved true. The son of the ex-La Real star his father and a dedicated fan at the team he now opposes, the forward is a product of Antiguoko, the local academy that nurtured Mikel Arteta, the former star and Andoni Iraola. He joined Athletic at his teens but after his top-level debut in August 2018, he experienced a serious knee problem, being released, a drop in category and a return before he could finally secure an opportunity, returning at 26 to live the best days of their lives.
“Entering the youth system thinking you won’t reach the first team but each step you progress through you’re still there and you can observe the approach. You make it and … you’re sent away.” He had limited game time in six games between his debut and that period. “Subsequently I returned to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Five, six games at that level and I suffered the ACL injury.
“A massive setback but In retrospect as something positive because it shifted the way I saw things. Healing from a serious ailment is difficult, but it aids growth. You cultivate routines new to you. It’s not that you don’t look after yourself, but I would go to training and then return home, as a youngster does. At Lezama, all resources are available, so utilize it all. Training, prehab. Hit the weights. If your hips aren’t balanced, correct it. With decent ankle function, enhance it further. All the minor details: do them.
“At the top level you’re going to collide with opponents who have crashed into players 200,000 times. They’re so strong. I look at photos of me before: my legs are chicken legs. Thus incidents occur. Look at pictures of me now and the improvement is clear. Injury made me see that. Sessions end, but additional work remains. Everyone else is ready, really ready; the same applies.”
Minutes are crucial. Guruzeta departed upset in the pandemic season, at 23 years old, joining the second tier. During his Sabadell spell in that season, he netted three goals in 40 games. During his Amorebieta stint in the following period, the goals started to flow. “Many experience this: loans, terminated contracts. With a turnaround, work, believe, and should the time come they need someone for your role, a return could happen. You have to be ready. When they decided to call again, a fantasy realized. The trophy success, play in Europe, and reach the Champions League … pfff.”
No wonder he says appreciate the experience. Especially after last year which, sometimes, was focused on persistence. After being leading scorer with a high tally, he managed seven in {15 games more|additional matches|