‘Every minor detail – execute them’: The striker’s road from rehabilitation to goals with Athletic Bilbao

Thehe first time the Spanish forward featured in England, an 18-year-old appearing for the youth squad against Borussia Mönchengladbach Under-23s at Wycombe’s stadium in the 2015 season, he found the net. During his subsequent match he appeared in British turf, against the Black Cats weeks after, he netted. Another occasion, against the Citizens six weeks after that, sure enough, he scored again. When he returned to the city to face United at the sports complex in 2017, he found the back of the net. It was a superb volley, as well. “Truly,” he remarks, “it’s one of the best goals I’ve netted.” Thus the club did what was necessary: they substituted him.

“I was furious,” the attacker reveals, before breaking into laughter. “There must be a video somewhere. Our match against United and I was in fine form. I wasn’t allowed to feature the latter period: I hadn’t yet signed agreement, I was scoring goals, speculation was rife, it’s typical. I don’t know about interest from Newcastle, but I recall seeing about Man United, standard transfer gossip. It’s unclear how true it was, but supposing an offer came, I’d have chosen to stay at Bilbao. It’s a privilege.”

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At Lezama, Bilbao, the morning session is about to start; following that, the quick travel to Loiu and another flight to England, on this occasion to play Newcastle in the European elite competition on the upcoming match. Uttering the name brings a smile to his face. It has become a difficult season for the team, partially owing to the demands of their participation. Defeated late on in the local rivalry, they have secured just a single victory of their past eight league games and been defeated by Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund in Europe. However, consider the broader view, the major occasions he’s experienced and future challenges, and a sense of thankful reflection from him.

In the three years since he had rejoined the team, the striker has been a final four contender in Europe, prevented from reaching a domestic final by Manchester United, and has traveled on a traditional boat up the Nervión estuary flanked by a huge crowd after lifting the trophy, the team’s initial silverware in four decades. He’s now Athletic’s top scorer in the Champions League, where they are countercultural and returning after absence in a long period. “I never imagined this,” he says.

Guruzeta thought it challenging enough just to earn a spot and his assessment was correct. The son of the ex-La Real star the former professional and a season ticket holder at the club that are now his rivals, Guruzeta is a product of Antiguoko, the Donostiarra team that produced the Arsenal manager, Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola. His move to Athletic came at 17 but after making his senior debut in the 2018 season, he went through a torn cruciate, dropped, a relegation and a call back before he could truly get a chance, returning at 26 to enjoy the highlights of his career.

“You go into the academy thinking you won’t reach the senior squad but with every stage you progress through you’re remaining and you can observe the approach. You make it and … you’re sent away.” He played six, nine, five, one, four and 20 minutes in six games between his bow and February 2019. “And then I go back down to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. A few matches with them and my knee gave way.

“A massive setback but I look back on it as something positive because it made me change the way I saw things. Healing from a serious ailment is difficult, but it’s beneficial. You cultivate routines new to you. It’s not that you don’t look after yourself, but I attended practice and then return home, like when you’re a kid. At Lezama, you have everything, so utilize it all. Training, prehab. Strength training. With hip imbalance, address that. Assuming ankle mobility is good, make it a 12 or a 14. Every small aspect: perform them.

“At the top level you’re going to collide with opponents who have been in battles 200,000 times. Highly robust. I look at photos of me before: my legs are chicken legs. So what happens, happens. Current photos and the improvement is clear. Recovery revealed that. Practice concludes, but there’s more to do. Teammates are set, really ready; you have to be too.”

Minutes are crucial. He left upset in that year, in his early twenties, moving to a lower level. With Sabadell in the 20-21 campaign, he got three strikes in 40 games. With Amorebieta in the following period, the he found his form. “It’s a common path: transfers, releases. With a turnaround, work, believe, and when eventually they need someone for your role, they might come back for you. You have to be ready. When they decided to call again, an aspiration fulfilled. Lifting the cup, play in Europe, and make the UCL … pfff.”

Little surprise he states this is to be enjoyed. All the more so after last year which, at times, was involved suffering. Previously the main threat with 16 in 2023-24, last season he got seven in {15 games more|additional matches|