‘All those silly things – do them’: The striker’s road from gurney to scoring with Athletic
Whenhe debut appearance the Athletic striker competed in the UK, an teenage playing for the reserve team against Bundesliga youth at Adams Park in fall 2015, he found the net. During his subsequent match he played in British turf, against the English side weeks after, he converted. His third outing, against the Citizens six weeks after that, well, he repeated the feat. Upon his comeback to the northwest to face United at Leigh Sports Village in the 2017 season, he found the back of the net. An excellent finish, also. “In fact,” he states, “it’s a top-class goal I’ve ever scored.” So Athletic did their duty: he was replaced.
“I got well angry,” the forward reveals, and then he starts laughing. “I’m sure there’s footage. We traveled to face United and I performed well. I wasn’t allowed to feature the final 45 minutes: my contract wasn’t finalized my contract, goals were flowing, speculation was rife, it’s typical. No confirmation on the Magpies’ pursuit, but I remember reading about the Red Devils, the usual talk. It’s unclear how true it was, but supposing an offer came, I’d have chosen to stay at Bilbao. I feel lucky to be here.”
Real Sociedad release pressure with surreal victory in Basque derby like no other
At the facility, the Basque Country, the morning session is about to start; post-session, the brief trip to Loiu and another flight to Britain, now to play Newcastle in the European elite competition on Wednesday. Just saying those two words brings a smile to his face. It’s turning out to be a difficult season for the club, partially owing to the requirements of competing at this level. Beaten in added time in the derby on Saturday, they have secured just a single victory of their last eight matches and fallen to the Gunners and Dortmund in Europe. Yet, consider the broader view, the major occasions he’s experienced and future challenges, and there’s a kind of quiet appreciation about him.
In the the period since he had rejoined the team, the striker has been a Europa League semi-finalist, stopped at the gates a domestic final by Manchester United, and has traveled on a traditional boat up the Nervión estuary flanked by a million fans after winning the Copa del Rey, the first title in four decades. Now he is the club’s leading marksman in the Champions League, where they are unique and making their first appearance in ten years. “I never imagined this,” he states.
He considered it challenging enough just to break into the senior squad and his assessment was correct. As the child of the ex-La Real star Xabi Guruzeta and a season ticket holder at the team he now opposes, Guruzeta is a product of Antiguoko, the San Sebastián club that produced the Arsenal manager, Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola. He joined Athletic at seventeen but after his first-team bow in the 2018 season, he suffered a serious knee problem, being released, a demotion and a return before he could truly get a chance, returning at 26 to live the best days of his career.
“Joining the setup doubting you’ll make the first team but every phase you advance through you’re persisting and you can observe the approach. You arrive and then … you’re sent away.” He had limited game time in a handful of matches between his bow and that period. “Subsequently I returned to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Five, six games there and I suffered the ACL injury.
“A severe disappointment but I reflect on it as a beneficial experience because it shifted the outlook. Healing from a serious ailment is challenging, but it’s beneficial. You adopt practices you didn’t have. It’s not about neglect, but I would go to training and then head home, as a youngster does. In the facility, you have everything, so take full advantage. Training, prehab. Hit the weights. If your hips aren’t balanced, work on that. If your ankles are a 10, enhance it further. Every small aspect: execute them.
“Among professionals you’re going to crash into players who have been in battles 200,000 times. They’re so strong. Seeing previous pictures: I had slender legs. Thus incidents occur. Look at pictures of me now and it’s totally different. The setback taught me. Sessions end, but additional work remains. Teammates are set, really ready; you have to be too.”
You also have to play. The striker moved in tears in the pandemic season, in his early twenties, dropping into the second division. During his Sabadell spell in 2020-21, he netted three goals in forty appearances. During his Amorebieta stint in the following period, the scoring picked up. “Players go through it: transfers, releases. If you turn it round, effort, faith, 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, compete continentally, and qualify for Europe’s top tier … pfff.”
No wonder he says appreciate the experience. All the more so after last year which, at times, was about endurance. From top scorer with a high tally, his output dropped to seven in {15 games more|additional matches|