The debut appearance the Athletic striker competed in English soil, an young appearing for the youth squad against Borussia Mönchengladbach Under-23s at Adams Park in fall 2015, he hit the target. On his next visit he took the field in England, against the Black Cats two months later, he scored. Another occasion, against Pep Guardiola’s team soon after, sure enough, he did it once more. Upon his comeback to Manchester to take on Manchester United at Leigh Sports Village in that year, he did it once more. It was a superb volley, too. “Truly,” he says, “it’s a top-class goal in my career.” Therefore the team did their duty: they substituted him.
“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 was in fine form. They kept me out of the second half: I hadn’t yet signed my contract, I kept finding the net, there were lots of rumours, as you’d expect. I don’t know about the Magpies’ pursuit, but I remember reading about Man United, the typical thing. I have no idea how true it was, but had they contacted me, my desire was to remain at the club. I’m fortunate to be here.”
Real Sociedad ease tension with bizarre win in unique Basque clash
At the training ground, Bilbao, the morning session is ready to commence; following that, the quick travel to Loiu airport and a further journey to the UK, now to play Newcastle in the Champions League on midweek. Mentioning that phrase makes Guruzeta smile. It’s turning out to be a difficult season for Athletic, due in part to the demands of being here. Losing in stoppage time in the derby on Saturday, they have secured just a single victory of their past eight league games and fallen to the Gunners and the German side in Europe. However, take in the big picture, the major occasions he’s experienced and future challenges, and a sense of thankful reflection about him.
In the 36 months since he had rejoined the team, Gorka has been a semi-final participant, prevented from reaching the showpiece event by the English giants, and has traveled on a traditional boat through the waterway accompanied by countless supporters after winning the Copa del Rey, the club’s first trophy in four decades. Now he is the club’s leading marksman in the UCL, where they are unique and returning after absence in ten years. “This was beyond my dreams,” he states.
The player believed it challenging enough just to make the first team and he was right. As the child of the ex-La Real star his father and a regular attendee at the opposition side, the forward is a graduate of Antiguoko, the local academy that produced Mikel Arteta, the former star and the tactician. He joined Athletic at his teens but after his top-level debut in August 2018, he suffered a ACL injury, dropped, a drop in category and a return before he could finally secure an opportunity, making his comeback to experience the peak of his career.
“You go into the academy doubting you’ll make the senior squad but every phase you progress through you’re remaining and you can see it getting closer. You arrive and then … you have to leave.” He played six, nine, five, one, four and 20 minutes in a handful of matches between his debut and that period. “Then I was sent to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Five, six games at that level and I suffered the ACL injury.
“It was a huge blow but I look back on it as a beneficial experience because it shifted the way I saw things. The rehabilitation process is challenging, but it’s beneficial. You cultivate routines you didn’t have. It’s not that you don’t look after yourself, but I attended practice and then head home, like when you’re a kid. In the facility, facilities are comprehensive, so take full advantage. Practice, prevention. Hit the weights. With hip imbalance, correct it. With decent ankle function, make it a 12 or a 14. All those ‘silly things’: perform them.
“At the top level you’re going to crash into players who have been in battles countless occasions. Highly robust. Seeing previous pictures: my legs are chicken legs. So what happens, happens. Current photos and the improvement is clear. Recovery revealed that. Practice concludes, but further effort is needed. Peers are prepared, really ready; the same applies.”
Game time is essential. The striker moved in tears in that year, aged 23, dropping into the second division. With Sabadell in that season, he netted three goals in numerous matches. With Amorebieta in the latter part of the season, the goals started to flow. “Many experience this: transfers, releases. If you turn it round, dedication, confidence, and if one day the requirement appears for your role, recall is possible. Preparation is key. When they decided to call again, it was a dream come true. Lifting the cup, European football, and reach the Champions League … pfff.”
Understandably he remarks savor the moment. Particularly after the prior campaign which, at times, was about endurance. After being leading scorer with sixteen goals, he managed seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
