‘All those little things – make sure you do them’: The striker’s path from rehabilitation to success with the Basque club

The first time the Spanish forward played in English soil, an 18-year-old representing the reserve team against German opponents at the English ground in fall 2015, he scored. The second time he appeared in England, against the Black Cats following that, he converted. The third time, against Pep Guardiola’s team soon after, well, he scored again. As he revisited to Manchester to play against the Red Devils at Leigh Sports Village in the 2017 season, he found the back of the net. A spectacular strike, as well. “In fact,” he says, “it ranks among my finest I’ve netted.” Thus the club did what was necessary: he was replaced.

“I was furious,” the Athletic striker says, then chuckling. “Probably there’s a recording. We went to play United and I was in fine form. I wasn’t allowed to feature the latter period: I hadn’t yet signed deal, I kept finding the net, speculation was rife, you know how it is. No confirmation on interest from Newcastle, but I came across reports about the Red Devils, the typical thing. It’s unclear how true it was, 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, the city, the morning session is set to begin; after it, the quick travel to Loiu airport and a further journey to England, this time to face Newcastle in the Champions League on the upcoming match. Uttering the name lights him up. It has become a challenging campaign for Athletic, partially owing to the requirements of being here. Beaten in added time in the local rivalry, they have secured just a single victory of their last eight matches and been defeated by Arsenal and Dortmund in the continental stage. However, take in the big picture, the big nights he has lived and those that lie ahead, and there’s a kind of quiet appreciation within him.

In the three years since he had rejoined the team, Guruzeta has been a final four contender in Europe, prevented from reaching the showpiece event by the English giants, and has ridden an historic vessel through the waterway flanked by a huge crowd after winning the Copa del Rey, the first title in four decades. Currently he stands as Athletic’s top scorer in the UCL, where they are distinctive and making their first appearance in a decade. “I never imagined this,” he admits.

He considered it difficult enough just to make the first team and that proved true. Born to the ex-La Real star his father and a season ticket holder at the team he now opposes, the forward is from the Antiguoko academy, the local academy that nurtured the coach, the former star and Andoni Iraola. His move to Athletic came at seventeen but after his top-level debut in the 2018 season, he experienced a torn cruciate, dropped, a relegation and a recall before he could earn his place, coming back aged 26 to enjoy the highlights of his career.

“Entering the youth system not expecting to reach the top level but with every stage you go 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 six games between his bow and that period. “Then I was sent to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Several appearances there and I tear my cruciate.

“A severe disappointment but In retrospect as a turning point because it forced me to alter the way I saw things. The rehabilitation process is hard, but it aids growth. You adopt practices previously lacking. It’s not about neglect, but I would go to training and then go home, typical youth behavior. At the complex, you have everything, so do everything. Work, precaution. Hit the weights. With hip imbalance, address that. With decent ankle function, make it a 12 or a 14. Every small aspect: execute them.

“Among professionals you’re going to collide with opponents who have crashed into players repeatedly. Highly robust. Seeing previous pictures: I had slender legs. Thus incidents occur. Look at pictures of me now and it’s totally different. Injury made me see that. Practice concludes, but further effort is needed. Everyone else is ready, really ready; you have to be too.”

Minutes are crucial. Guruzeta departed in tears in 2020, in his early twenties, joining the second tier. With Sabadell in 2020-21, he netted three goals in forty appearances. During his Amorebieta stint in the following period, the he found his form. “Many experience this: transfers, releases. If you turn it round, 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, European football, and make the UCL … pfff.”

Little surprise he states this is to be enjoyed. Particularly after the previous season which, on occasions, was focused on persistence. Previously the main threat with sixteen goals, last season he got seven in {15 games more|additional matches|