‘Every minor detail – execute them’: The striker’s road from gurney to scoring with Athletic Bilbao
Thehe debut appearance the Spanish forward played in England, an 18-year-old playing for Athletic Bilbao B against Borussia Mönchengladbach Under-23s at Adams Park in September 2015, he found the net. During his subsequent match he appeared in England, against the Black Cats weeks after, he netted. Another occasion, against Pep Guardiola’s team soon after, well, he repeated the feat. Upon his comeback to the city to face United at the sports complex in 2017, he scored again. A spectacular strike, also. “In fact,” he says, “it ranks among my finest in my career.” Thus the club did what they had to do: they took him off.
“I was furious,” the Athletic striker reveals, and then he starts laughing. “I’m sure there’s footage. Our match against United and I performed well. I wasn’t allowed to feature the second half: my contract wasn’t finalized agreement, I was scoring goals, many stories circulated, it’s typical. No confirmation on the Magpies’ pursuit, but I remember reading about Man United, the usual talk. I’m not certain the validity, but had they contacted me, my desire was to remain at the club. I feel lucky to be here.”
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At the training ground, the city, the early training is about to start; post-session, the quick travel to Loiu airport and a further journey to Britain, now to take on the Magpies in the Champions League on midweek. Uttering the name lights him up. It’s turning out to be a difficult season for the team, due in part to the requirements of being here. Defeated late on in the derby on Saturday, they have won only one of their last eight matches and fallen to the Gunners and Dortmund in Europe. However, take in the big picture, the big nights he has lived and future challenges, and there’s a kind of quiet appreciation from him.
In the 36 months since he had come back to Athletic, Guruzeta has been a semi-final participant, stopped at the gates the showpiece event by the English giants, and has ridden an historic vessel along the Nervión river flanked by a huge crowd after securing the Spanish cup, the first title in 40 years. He’s now Athletic’s top scorer in the European competition, where they are unique and debuting in a decade. “This was beyond my dreams,” he admits.
The player believed it challenging enough just to earn a spot and his assessment was correct. As the child of the one-time rival player Xabi Guruzeta and a regular attendee at the team he now opposes, Guruzeta is from the Antiguoko academy, the local academy that nurtured Mikel Arteta, the legendary midfielder and Andoni Iraola. He joined Athletic at 17 but after his first-team bow in that summer, he experienced a serious knee problem, the cut, a drop in category and a recall before he could earn his place, returning at 26 to enjoy the highlights of his career.
“Joining the setup not expecting to reach the senior squad but with every stage you advance through you’re persisting and you can notice the proximity. You get there but … you have to leave.” He had limited game time in a handful of matches between his bow and that period. “Subsequently I returned to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Several appearances with them and I suffered the ACL injury.
“A massive setback but I look back on it as a turning point because it forced me to alter the perspective. The rehabilitation process is difficult, but it’s beneficial. You adopt practices new to you. Previously I was casual, but I attended practice and then go home, like when you’re a kid. In the facility, you have everything, so take full advantage. Practice, prevention. Hit the weights. With hip imbalance, correct it. With decent ankle function, make it a 12 or a 14. All those ‘silly things’: do them.
“Among professionals you’re going to face physical challenges who have crashed into players repeatedly. They’re so strong. I look at photos of me before: my physique was slight. So what happens, happens. Present-day images and it’s totally different. Injury made me see that. Sessions end, but there’s more to do. Everyone else is ready, really ready; no exceptions.”
Minutes are crucial. The striker moved emotionally in the pandemic season, aged 23, moving to a lower level. With Sabadell in 2020-21, he scored three times in numerous matches. During his Amorebieta stint in the latter part of the season, the goals started to flow. “It’s a common path: transfers, releases. Should you reverse it, work, believe, and if one day a vacancy arises for your role, recall is possible. You have to be ready. When the opportunity came, it was a dream come true. The trophy success, play in Europe, and reach the Champions League … pfff.”
No wonder he says savor the moment. Particularly after the previous season which, sometimes, was focused on persistence. Previously the main threat with 16 in 2023-24, last season he got seven in {15 games more|additional matches|