‘All those little things – make sure you do them’: The striker’s road from rehabilitation to success with Athletic
Thehe debut appearance the Spanish forward featured in England, an 18-year-old representing the reserve team against Borussia Mönchengladbach Under-23s at Adams Park in fall 2015, he scored. The second time he played in the country, against the English side weeks after, he converted. His third outing, against Pep Guardiola’s team not long later, well, he repeated the feat. Upon his comeback to the northwest to face United at the sports complex in that year, he found the back of the net. It was a superb volley, also. “Truly,” he states, “it’s one of the best goals I’ve ever scored.” Therefore the team did what was necessary: he was replaced.
“I was furious,” the Athletic striker admits, and then he starts laughing. “There must be a video somewhere. We traveled to face United and I was in fine form. I wasn’t allowed to feature the final 45 minutes: my contract wasn’t finalized deal, goals were flowing, speculation was rife, it’s typical. I’m unsure regarding interest from Newcastle, but I recall seeing about Manchester United, the usual talk. It’s unclear if it was accurate, but supposing an offer came, my desire was to remain at the club. I feel lucky to be here.”
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At Lezama, Bilbao, the day’s first practice is ready to commence; post-session, the brief trip to the airport and another flight to Britain, this time to face Newcastle in the UCL on midweek. Mentioning that phrase makes Guruzeta smile. It has become a tough year for Athletic, partially owing to the demands of being here. Beaten in added time in the derby on Saturday, they have managed just one win of their recent league fixtures and been defeated by Arsenal and the German side in the continental stage. However, consider the broader view, the major occasions he’s experienced and upcoming events, and there’s a kind of quiet appreciation from him.
In the the period since he had rejoined the team, the striker has been a semi-final participant, denied at the last hurdle a final at home by the English giants, and has boarded a decades-old barge through the waterway accompanied by a million fans after securing the Spanish cup, the club’s first trophy in 40 years. He’s now the top goal-getter in the European competition, where they are distinctive and debuting in a decade. “This was beyond my dreams,” he states.
The player believed it challenging enough just to break into the senior squad and that proved true. The son of the one-time rival player Xabi Guruzeta and a season ticket holder at the team he now opposes, Guruzeta is a graduate of Antiguoko, the San Sebastián club that produced Mikel Arteta, the legendary midfielder and Andoni Iraola. His move to Athletic came at 17 but after his first-team bow in the 2018 season, he experienced a torn cruciate, the cut, a relegation and a recall before he could truly get a chance, returning at 26 to experience the peak of the club’s history.
“Joining the setup thinking you won’t reach the senior squad but every phase you go through you’re still there 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 half a dozen appearances between his first game and that period. “Subsequently I returned to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Five, six games at that level and I suffered the ACL injury.
“It was a huge blow but I reflect on it as a beneficial experience because it made me change the perspective. Healing from a serious ailment is difficult, but it aids growth. You cultivate routines previously lacking. It’s not that you don’t look after yourself, but I did the sessions and then head home, as a youngster does. At the complex, you have everything, so do everything. Training, prehab. Get in the gym. If your hips aren’t balanced, address that. If your ankles are a 10, improve it more. All those ‘silly things’: perform them.
“At the top level you’re going to collide with opponents who have been in battles repeatedly. Highly robust. Seeing previous pictures: I had slender legs. So what happens, happens. Look at pictures of me now and it’s totally different. Recovery revealed that. Sessions end, but there’s more to do. Everyone else is ready, really ready; no exceptions.”
You also have to play. He left in tears in the pandemic season, in his early twenties, dropping into the second division. During his Sabadell spell in the 20-21 campaign, he got three strikes in forty appearances. During his Amorebieta stint in the second half of 2021-22, the he found his form. “Many experience this: loans, terminated contracts. If you turn it round, effort, faith, and if one day a vacancy arises for your role, they might come back for you. Readiness is vital. When the opportunity came, a fantasy realized. The trophy success, European football, and make the UCL … pfff.”
No wonder he says savor the moment. Especially after the previous season which, sometimes, was focused on persistence. From top scorer with sixteen goals, his output dropped to seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
