‘All those silly things – do them’: The striker’s path from gurney to success with Athletic

The first time the Athletic striker featured in the UK, an young playing for the reserve team against Borussia Mönchengladbach Under-23s at the English ground in the 2015 season, he hit the target. The second time he appeared in the country, against Sunderland following that, he converted. The third time, against Manchester City six weeks after that, sure enough, he repeated the feat. As he revisited to the northwest to take on Manchester United at Leigh’s ground in 2017, he found the back of the net. It was a superb volley, too. “In fact,” he remarks, “it ranks among my finest I’ve ever scored.” So Athletic did their duty: he was replaced.

“I got well angry,” the attacker admits, before breaking into laughter. “I’m sure there’s footage. We went to play United and I performed well. They didn’t let me play the final 45 minutes: I was without a signed my contract, I kept finding the net, there were lots of rumours, you know how it is. I don’t know about interest from Newcastle, but I remember reading about Man United, the usual talk. I’m not certain if it was accurate, but even if they had called, my desire was to remain at the club. I’m fortunate to be here.”

La Real relieve strain with extraordinary derby triumph

At the facility, the city, the morning session is ready to commence; following that, the short journey to Loiu airport and another trip to England, this time to face Newcastle in the Champions League on Wednesday. Just saying those two words lights him up. It’s turning out to be a difficult season for the team, due in part to the requirements of being here. Beaten in added time in the local rivalry, they have managed just one win of their last eight matches and been defeated by Arsenal and Dortmund in Europe. Yet, look at the overall situation, the major occasions he’s experienced and upcoming events, and a sense of thankful reflection within him.

In the the period since he had returned to the club, Guruzeta has been a semi-final participant, denied at the last hurdle a final at home by the English giants, and has traveled on a traditional boat up the Nervión estuary surrounded by a million fans after winning the Copa del Rey, the club’s first trophy in 40 years. Now he is the club’s leading marksman in the Champions League, where they are unique and debuting in ten years. “I couldn’t have pictured this,” he says.

He considered it challenging enough just to make the first team and he was right. As the child of the one-time rival player Xabi Guruzeta and a dedicated fan at the club that are now his rivals, the forward is from the Antiguoko academy, the San Sebastián club that produced the Arsenal manager, the former star and Andoni Iraola. He joined Athletic at 17 but after his first-team bow in that summer, he went through a ACL injury, the cut, a relegation and a call back before he could earn his place, making his comeback to live the best days of the club’s history.

“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 get there but … you’re sent away.” He featured briefly in six matches in half a dozen appearances between his first game and early 2019. “And then I go back down to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. A few matches at that level and I tear my cruciate.

“It was a huge blow but I reflect on it as something positive because it forced me to alter the outlook. Healing from a serious ailment is difficult, but it’s beneficial. You adopt practices you didn’t have. 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, facilities are comprehensive, so do everything. Practice, prevention. Get in the gym. If your hips aren’t balanced, work on that. If your ankles are a 10, improve it more. All those ‘silly things’: execute them.

“In the first team you’re going to collide with opponents who have experienced contact repeatedly. Highly robust. I look at photos of me before: I had slender legs. Injuries are inevitable. Current photos and it’s totally different. Injury made me see that. Training finishes, but additional work remains. Everyone else is ready, really ready; you have to be too.”

Game time is essential. The striker moved upset in that year, in his early twenties, joining the second tier. With Sabadell in 2020-21, he netted three goals in 40 games. At Amorebieta in the latter part of the season, the goals started to flow. “It’s a common path: transfers, releases. With a turnaround, dedication, confidence, and when eventually a vacancy arises in your position, recall is possible. Readiness is vital. When they decided to call again, a fantasy realized. The trophy success, compete continentally, and reach the Champions League … pfff.”

No wonder he says appreciate the experience. Especially after the prior campaign which, sometimes, was about endurance. After being leading scorer with a high tally, he managed seven in {15 games more|additional matches|