‘Every minor detail – execute them’: Guruzeta’s journey from injury table to scoring with Athletic Bilbao

Whenhe initial occasion the Athletic striker played in English soil, an young representing the reserve team against German opponents at the English ground in September 2015, he scored. During his subsequent match he took the field in England, against Sunderland two months later, he netted. His third outing, against Manchester City soon after, well, he did it once more. Upon his comeback to the city to play against the Red Devils at Leigh Sports Village in that year, he scored again. It was a superb volley, as well. “In fact,” he says, “it’s a top-class goal in my career.” Thus the club did what they had to do: he was replaced.

“I became very upset,” the attacker says, then chuckling. “Probably there’s a recording. We traveled to face United and I performed well. I wasn’t allowed to feature the final 45 minutes: my contract wasn’t finalized agreement, I was scoring goals, there were lots of rumours, you know how it is. I don’t know about Newcastle being interested, but I came across reports about Man United, standard transfer gossip. I have no idea the validity, but had they contacted me, my desire was to remain at Athletic. I’m fortunate to be here.”

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At the training ground, the city, the early training is about to start; following that, the quick travel to Loiu airport and another trip to England, this time to play Newcastle in the UCL on the upcoming match. Uttering the name makes Guruzeta smile. This is proving a tough year for Athletic, partially owing to the demands of competing at this level. Defeated late on in the derby on Saturday, they have won only one of their last eight matches and lost against Arsenal and the German side in Europe. However, take in the big picture, the memorable evenings and future challenges, and he feels a calm gratitude from him.

In the 36 months since he had come back to Athletic, the striker has been a semi-final participant, stopped at the gates the showpiece event by Manchester United, and has traveled on a traditional boat through the waterway surrounded by a huge crowd after securing the Spanish cup, the club’s first trophy in four decades. Currently he stands as Athletic’s top scorer in the Champions League, where they are countercultural and returning after absence in a long period. “This was beyond my dreams,” he states.

Guruzeta thought it difficult enough just to make the first team and he was right. The son of the one-time rival player his father and a season ticket holder at the club that are now his rivals, Guruzeta is from the Antiguoko academy, the Donostiarra team that nurtured the Arsenal manager, Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola. His move to Athletic came at his teens but after his first-team bow in the 2018 season, he went through a serious knee problem, being released, a drop in category and a recall before he could truly get a chance, making his comeback to enjoy the highlights of the club’s history.

“Joining the setup doubting you’ll make the top level but with every stage you advance through you’re still there and you can see it getting closer. You make it and … departure is necessary.” He played six, nine, five, one, four and 20 minutes 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 severe disappointment but In retrospect as something positive because it shifted the way I saw things. The rehabilitation process 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 head home, like when you’re a kid. At Lezama, you have everything, so do everything. Practice, prevention. Strength training. If your hips aren’t balanced, work on that. With decent ankle function, enhance it further. Every small aspect: perform them.

“At the top level you’re going to crash into players who have experienced contact countless occasions. Extremely powerful. I look at photos of me before: my physique was slight. Injuries are inevitable. Present-day images and the change is dramatic. The setback taught me. Practice concludes, but there’s more to do. Everyone else is ready, really ready; no exceptions.”

Game time is essential. The striker moved upset in 2020, aged 23, joining the second tier. During his Sabadell spell in that season, he netted three goals in 40 games. With Amorebieta in the latter part of the season, the goals started to flow. “It’s a common path: loans, terminated contracts. Should you reverse it, effort, faith, and should the time come a vacancy arises where you play, recall is possible. You have to be ready. When the opportunity came, a fantasy realized. To then win the Copa del Rey, compete continentally, and reach the Champions League … pfff.”

Understandably he remarks this is to be enjoyed. Especially after the prior campaign which, on occasions, was focused on persistence. After being leading scorer with 16 in 2023-24, his output dropped to seven in {15 games more|additional matches|