‘All those little things – make sure you do them’: The striker’s path from injury table to success with Athletic Bilbao
Whenhe first time the Spanish forward played in England, an 18-year-old representing the youth squad against German opponents at Adams Park in fall 2015, he hit the target. The second time he played in British turf, against the English side two months later, he scored. Another occasion, against the Citizens not long later, well, he scored again. Upon his comeback to the northwest to face United at the sports complex in that year, he did it once more. A spectacular strike, as well. “Actually,” he says, “it ranks among my finest in my career.” Therefore the team did what they had to do: he was replaced.
“I got well angry,” the Athletic striker says, before breaking into laughter. “I’m sure there’s footage. We traveled to face United and I was pretty good. I wasn’t allowed to feature the final 45 minutes: I was without a signed deal, I was scoring goals, many stories circulated, you know how it is. I don’t know about Newcastle being interested, but I remember reading about Man United, the usual talk. It’s unclear how true it was, but supposing an offer came, I’d have chosen to stay at Bilbao. I’m fortunate to be here.”
La Real relieve strain with extraordinary derby triumph
At Lezama, the Basque Country, the morning session is set to begin; following that, the quick travel to the airport and another trip to the UK, now to take on the Magpies in the European elite competition on Wednesday. Just saying those two words makes Guruzeta smile. It has become a difficult season for Athletic, due in part to the demands of being here. Beaten in added time in the weekend clash, they have won only one of their past eight league games and fallen to the Gunners and Dortmund in European competition. But, take in the big picture, the major occasions he’s experienced and upcoming events, and there’s a kind of quiet appreciation within him.
In the 36 months since he had rejoined the team, the striker has been a Europa League semi-finalist, stopped at the gates the showpiece event by Manchester United, and has ridden an historic vessel up the Nervión estuary accompanied by a huge crowd after securing the Spanish cup, the team’s initial silverware in four decades. Currently he stands as Athletic’s top scorer in the European competition, where they are countercultural and returning after absence in ten years. “I couldn’t have pictured this,” he says.
The player believed it difficult enough just to earn a spot and his assessment was correct. Born to the ex-La Real star Xabi Guruzeta and a regular attendee at the team he now opposes, the forward is a product of Antiguoko, the San Sebastián club that produced the Arsenal manager, Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola. He joined Athletic at his teens but after his first-team bow in August 2018, he experienced a ACL injury, dropped, a drop in category and a call back before he could earn his place, coming back aged 26 to enjoy the highlights 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 observe the approach. You arrive and then … you have to leave.” He played six, nine, five, one, four and 20 minutes in six games between his bow and early 2019. “Then I was sent to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. A few matches at that level and I suffered the ACL injury.
“A severe disappointment but I look back on it as a beneficial experience because it made me change the outlook. Recovering from a long-term injury is hard, but it helps. You adopt practices you didn’t have. Previously I was casual, but I attended practice and then return home, as a youngster does. At Lezama, all resources are available, so do everything. Training, prehab. Strength training. With hip imbalance, address that. If your ankles are a 10, enhance it further. All the minor details: perform them.
“Among professionals you’re going to face physical challenges who have experienced contact repeatedly. Extremely powerful. Seeing previous pictures: my physique was slight. Injuries are inevitable. Look at pictures of me now and it’s totally different. Injury made me see that. Practice concludes, but there’s more to do. Teammates are set, really ready; the same applies.”
You also have to play. He left in tears in that year, in his early twenties, dropping into the second division. At Sabadell in 2020-21, he got three strikes in forty appearances. With Amorebieta in the second half of 2021-22, the scoring picked up. “It’s a common path: temporary moves, ended deals. With a turnaround, work, believe, and if one day a vacancy arises where you play, recall is possible. Readiness is vital. Upon the recall, a fantasy realized. Lifting the cup, European football, and qualify for Europe’s top tier … pfff.”
Little surprise he states savor the moment. Especially after the prior campaign which, sometimes, was involved suffering. After being leading scorer with a high tally, his output dropped to seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
