‘Every minor detail – execute them’: Guruzeta’s journey from rehabilitation to goals with Athletic Bilbao

The initial occasion the Spanish forward competed in the UK, an 18-year-old playing for Athletic Bilbao B against Bundesliga youth at the English ground in fall 2015, he scored. During his subsequent match he took the field in England, against Sunderland two months later, he netted. The third time, against Pep Guardiola’s team soon after, indeed, he did it once more. When he returned to the city to take on Manchester United at the sports complex in 2017, he did it once more. A spectacular strike, too. “In fact,” he states, “it’s one of the best goals in my career.” Therefore the team did what they had to do: they substituted him.

“I was furious,” the attacker says, then chuckling. “I’m sure there’s footage. Our match against United and I was in fine form. They didn’t let me play the final 45 minutes: my contract wasn’t finalized agreement, goals were flowing, many stories circulated, it’s typical. I don’t know about the Magpies’ pursuit, but I came across reports about Man United, the typical thing. I have no idea how true it was, but supposing an offer came, my desire was to remain at the club. It’s a privilege.”

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At the training ground, Bilbao, the morning session is ready to commence; following that, the quick travel to Loiu and a further journey to Britain, on this occasion to face Newcastle in the Champions League on Wednesday. Uttering the name makes Guruzeta smile. This is proving a difficult season for Athletic, partially owing to the pressures of competing at this level. Beaten in added time in the weekend clash, they have secured just a single victory of their past eight league games and been defeated by Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund in European competition. But, consider the broader view, the memorable evenings and future challenges, and a sense of thankful reflection from him.

In the 36 months since he had returned to the club, Guruzeta has been a final four contender in Europe, stopped at the gates a domestic final by Manchester United, and has boarded a decades-old barge through the waterway surrounded by a million fans after winning the Copa del Rey, the first title in four decades. Currently he stands as the club’s leading marksman in the UCL, where they are countercultural and debuting in a decade. “I couldn’t have pictured this,” he says.

Guruzeta thought it difficult enough just to break into the senior squad and that proved true. As the child of the one-time rival player Xabi Guruzeta and a dedicated fan at the team he now opposes, Guruzeta is a product of Antiguoko, the Donostiarra team that developed Mikel Arteta, the former star and the Bournemouth manager. His move to Athletic came at 17 but after his first-team bow in the 2018 season, he experienced a ACL injury, the cut, 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.

“Entering the youth system thinking you won’t reach the first team but each step you advance through you’re still there and you can see it getting closer. You get there but … you’re sent away.” He featured briefly in six matches in a handful of matches between his bow and early 2019. “And then I go back down to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Several appearances with them and I suffered the ACL injury.

“A severe disappointment but I reflect on it as a turning point because it shifted the outlook. The rehabilitation process is hard, but it helps. You adopt practices previously lacking. Previously I was casual, but I attended practice and then head home, typical youth behavior. At Lezama, you have everything, so utilize it all. Training, prehab. Strength training. Should your hips be uneven, work on that. If your ankles are a 10, improve it more. Every small aspect: do them.

“At the top level you’re going to face physical challenges who have crashed into players repeatedly. Highly robust. Reviewing old images: my legs are chicken legs. Thus incidents occur. Current photos and it’s totally different. Recovery revealed that. Practice concludes, but further effort is needed. Teammates are set, really ready; the same applies.”

Game time is essential. Guruzeta departed upset in that year, at 23 years old, dropping into the second division. During his Sabadell spell in the 20-21 campaign, he netted three goals in forty appearances. At Amorebieta in the second half of 2021-22, the scoring picked up. “Many experience this: transfers, releases. If you turn it round, work, believe, and should the time come the requirement appears in your position, they might come back for you. Readiness is vital. When they decided to call again, an aspiration fulfilled. The trophy success, European football, and qualify for Europe’s top tier … pfff.”

No wonder he says this is to be enjoyed. All the more so after the previous season which, sometimes, was involved suffering. Previously the main threat with 16 in 2023-24, last season he got seven in {15 games more|additional matches|