‘Every minor detail – execute them’: The striker’s road from gurney to goals with the Basque club
Thehe first time Gorka Guruzeta played in English soil, an teenage appearing for the youth squad against Borussia Mönchengladbach Under-23s at Wycombe’s stadium in the 2015 season, he hit the target. During his subsequent match he played in England, against Sunderland weeks after, he converted. Another occasion, against the Citizens six weeks after that, well, he repeated the feat. As he revisited to Manchester to play against the Red Devils at Leigh Sports Village in 2017, he scored again. A spectacular strike, also. “Actually,” he remarks, “it ranks among my finest I’ve ever scored.” Thus the club did what they had to do: he was replaced.
“I was furious,” the forward admits, then chuckling. “I’m sure there’s footage. We went to play United and I performed well. I wasn’t allowed to feature the latter period: my contract wasn’t finalized my contract, I was scoring goals, speculation was rife, you know how it is. No confirmation on the Magpies’ pursuit, but I recall seeing about Manchester United, the typical thing. It’s unclear the validity, but had they contacted me, I’d have chosen to stay at Bilbao. It’s a privilege.”
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At the facility, the city, the morning session is set to begin; following that, the quick travel to Loiu and a further journey to the UK, this time to take on the Magpies in the European elite competition on Wednesday. Mentioning that phrase brings a smile to his face. It’s turning out to be a difficult season for the club, due in part to the pressures of competing at this level. Defeated late on in the local rivalry, they have secured just a single victory of their recent league fixtures and been defeated by Arsenal and Dortmund in the continental stage. Yet, look at the overall situation, the memorable evenings and those that lie ahead, and a sense of thankful reflection within him.
In the the period since he had rejoined the team, Gorka has been a semi-final participant, stopped at the gates a domestic final by United, and has traveled on a traditional boat up the Nervión estuary surrounded by countless supporters after winning the Copa del Rey, the first title in 40 years. He’s now the top goal-getter in the European competition, where they are countercultural and making their first appearance in ten years. “This was beyond my dreams,” he admits.
The player believed it hard enough just to break into the senior squad and that proved true. As the child of the one-time rival player Xabi Guruzeta and a regular attendee at the opposition side, Gorka is from the Antiguoko academy, the Donostiarra team that nurtured the coach, Xabi Alonso and the tactician. He signed for Athletic at seventeen but after making his senior debut in August 2018, he suffered a serious knee problem, dropped, a relegation and a return before he could truly get a chance, making his comeback to experience the peak of their lives.
“Joining the setup doubting you’ll make the top level but each step you progress through you’re persisting and you can see it getting closer. You get there but … departure is necessary.” He played six, nine, five, one, four and 20 minutes in a handful of matches between his debut and February 2019. “Subsequently I returned to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Several appearances with them and I tear my cruciate.
“A massive setback but I reflect on it as a turning point because it shifted the outlook. Healing from a serious ailment is challenging, but it helps. You adopt practices new to you. It’s not that you don’t look after yourself, but I attended practice and then return home, as a youngster does. In the facility, all resources are available, so utilize it all. Practice, prevention. Hit the weights. With hip imbalance, address that. With decent ankle function, make it a 12 or a 14. All the minor details: perform them.
“At the top level you’re going to collide with opponents who have crashed into players repeatedly. Extremely powerful. Reviewing old images: my legs are chicken legs. So what happens, happens. Current photos and the change is dramatic. Injury made me see that. Training finishes, but there’s more to do. Everyone else is ready, really ready; you have to be too.”
Game time is essential. He left emotionally in that year, aged 23, dropping into the second division. At Sabadell in that season, he netted three goals in numerous matches. With Amorebieta in the following period, the goals started to flow. “It’s a common path: temporary moves, ended deals. With a turnaround, effort, faith, and if one day the requirement appears where you play, recall is possible. Preparation is key. When they decided to call again, an aspiration fulfilled. To then win the Copa del Rey, play in Europe, and make the UCL … pfff.”
No wonder he says savor the moment. Particularly after the previous season which, at times, was focused on persistence. From top scorer with 16 in 2023-24, his output dropped to seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
