‘All those silly things – do them’: Guruzeta’s path from injury table to goals with Athletic Bilbao
Thehe first time the Spanish forward played in England, an teenage playing for Athletic Bilbao B against Borussia Mönchengladbach Under-23s at the English ground in the 2015 season, he found the net. On his next visit he took the field in England, against the Black Cats following that, he netted. His third outing, against the Citizens six weeks after that, indeed, he did it once more. Upon his comeback to the northwest to play against the Red Devils at Leigh’s ground in 2017, he did it once more. It was a superb volley, too. “In fact,” he says, “it’s a top-class goal in my career.” Therefore the team did their duty: he was replaced.
“I was furious,” the forward reveals, and then he starts laughing. “Probably there’s a recording. We traveled to face United and I performed well. They kept me out of the latter period: I was without a signed my contract, goals were flowing, many stories circulated, as you’d expect. No confirmation on Newcastle being interested, but I remember reading about the Red Devils, the typical thing. I have no idea how true it was, but had they contacted me, my desire was to remain at the club. It’s a privilege.”
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At Lezama, the city, the early training is ready to commence; post-session, the brief trip to Loiu and another flight to the UK, now to take on the Magpies in the European elite competition on the upcoming match. Uttering the name makes Guruzeta smile. This is proving a tough year for the club, partially owing to the demands of their participation. Beaten in added time in the local rivalry, they have secured just a single victory of their past eight league games and lost against Arsenal and Dortmund in the continental stage. But, consider the broader view, the big nights he has lived and future challenges, and he feels a calm gratitude from him.
In the 36 months since he had returned to the club, the striker has been a final four contender in Europe, prevented from reaching a domestic final by the English giants, and has boarded a decades-old barge along the Nervión river accompanied by a million fans after winning the Copa del Rey, the club’s first trophy in four decades. He’s now the club’s leading marksman in the Champions League, where they are unique and returning after absence in a decade. “I never imagined this,” he admits.
Guruzeta thought it challenging enough just to break into the senior squad and that proved true. The son of the ex-La Real star Xabi Guruzeta and a regular attendee at the club that are now his rivals, Guruzeta is a product of Antiguoko, the San Sebastián club that nurtured the coach, the legendary midfielder and the Bournemouth manager. His move to Athletic came at his teens but after making his senior debut in August 2018, he went through a ACL injury, being released, a drop in category and a return before he could earn his place, coming back aged 26 to live the best days of his career.
“Joining the setup not expecting to reach the top level but each step you advance through you’re persisting and you can see it getting closer. You make it and … you have to leave.” He featured briefly in six matches in half a dozen appearances between his debut and early 2019. “And then I go back down to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Several appearances there and my knee gave way.
“It was a huge blow but I look back on it as a turning point because it made me change the way I saw things. The rehabilitation process is hard, 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 go home, as a youngster does. At the complex, facilities are comprehensive, so take full advantage. Work, precaution. Hit the weights. With hip imbalance, correct it. Assuming ankle mobility is good, enhance it further. Every small aspect: perform them.
“Among professionals you’re going to crash into players who have experienced contact 200,000 times. Extremely powerful. Seeing previous pictures: my legs are chicken legs. Injuries are inevitable. Present-day images and the change is dramatic. Injury made me see that. Training finishes, but there’s more to do. Everyone else is ready, really ready; the same applies.”
You also have to play. The striker moved in tears in that year, at 23 years old, moving to a lower level. During his Sabadell spell in that season, he scored three times in numerous matches. During his Amorebieta stint in the following period, the goals started to flow. “Many experience this: transfers, releases. Should you reverse it, effort, faith, and when eventually they need someone in your position, they might come back for you. You have to be ready. Upon the recall, a fantasy realized. Lifting the cup, European football, and reach the Champions League … pfff.”
Understandably he remarks appreciate the experience. Particularly after the prior campaign which, on occasions, was about endurance. From top scorer with 16 in 2023-24, he managed seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
