‘Every minor detail – execute them’: The striker’s road from gurney to goals with Athletic

The debut appearance the Spanish forward competed in England, an teenage appearing for the reserve team against Bundesliga youth at Adams Park in fall 2015, he found the net. During his subsequent match he appeared in England, against Sunderland two months later, he converted. The third time, against Manchester City not long later, sure enough, he repeated the feat. Upon his comeback to the northwest to face United at Leigh Sports Village in the 2017 season, he found the back of the net. A spectacular strike, as well. “In fact,” he says, “it ranks among my finest I’ve netted.” Thus the club did what was necessary: they substituted him.

“I got well angry,” the Athletic striker says, and then he starts laughing. “Probably there’s a recording. We went to play United and I was pretty good. They didn’t let me play the second half: I hadn’t yet signed my contract, I was scoring goals, many stories circulated, it’s typical. I’m unsure regarding Newcastle being interested, but I remember reading about Manchester United, the usual talk. I’m not certain how true it was, but supposing an offer came, I would have wanted to stay at the club. I feel lucky to be here.”

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At Lezama, the city, the morning session is about to start; following that, the brief trip to Loiu and a further journey to England, now to face Newcastle in the Champions League on the upcoming match. Just saying those two words makes Guruzeta smile. It’s turning out to be a difficult season for Athletic, due in part to the pressures of being here. Beaten in added time in the weekend clash, they have secured just a single victory of their past eight league games and fallen to the Gunners and Borussia Dortmund in European competition. But, take in the big picture, the memorable evenings and those that lie ahead, and there’s a kind of quiet appreciation about him.

In the three years since he had returned to the club, the striker has been a Europa League semi-finalist, prevented from reaching a final at home by Manchester United, and has traveled on a traditional boat through the waterway accompanied by countless supporters after lifting the trophy, the first title in four decades. He’s now the club’s leading marksman in the UCL, where they are unique and making their first appearance in a decade. “This was beyond my dreams,” he admits.

The player believed it difficult enough just to break into the senior squad and he was right. The son of the one-time rival player Xabi Guruzeta and a regular attendee at the opposition side, Gorka is from the Antiguoko academy, the local academy that produced the Arsenal manager, the legendary midfielder and the Bournemouth manager. He joined Athletic at his teens but after his first-team bow in the 2018 season, he experienced a torn cruciate, being released, a drop in category and a recall before he could finally secure an opportunity, returning at 26 to experience the peak of their lives.

“Entering the youth system thinking you won’t reach the senior squad but every phase you progress through you’re remaining and you can notice the proximity. You arrive and then … you have to leave.” He played six, nine, five, one, four and 20 minutes in six games between his first game and that period. “Subsequently I returned to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Five, six games with them and my knee gave way.

“A severe disappointment but I reflect on it as a beneficial experience because it made me change the way I saw things. The rehabilitation process is difficult, but it’s beneficial. You cultivate routines new to you. It’s not that you don’t look after yourself, but I would go to training and then go home, like when you’re a kid. At Lezama, all resources are available, so utilize it all. Training, prehab. Strength training. With hip imbalance, correct it. With decent ankle function, improve it more. Every small aspect: do them.

“At the top level you’re going to collide with opponents who have been in battles repeatedly. They’re so strong. I look at photos of me before: I had slender legs. Thus incidents occur. Present-day images and it’s totally different. The setback taught me. Training finishes, but further effort is needed. Everyone else is ready, really ready; the same applies.”

Minutes are crucial. The striker moved in tears in that year, at 23 years old, dropping into the second division. During his Sabadell spell in that season, he got three strikes in 40 games. At Amorebieta in the following period, the scoring picked up. “Players go through it: loans, terminated contracts. If you turn it round, effort, faith, and when eventually they need someone where you play, recall is possible. Readiness is vital. When they decided to call again, a fantasy realized. The trophy success, European football, and qualify for Europe’s top tier … pfff.”

No wonder he says appreciate the experience. All the more so after the prior campaign which, at times, was about endurance. From top scorer with 16 in 2023-24, last season he got seven in {15 games more|additional matches|