‘All those silly things – do them’: The striker’s journey from gurney to scoring with the Basque club
Thehe first time the Spanish forward competed in English soil, an teenage representing the youth squad against German opponents at Wycombe’s stadium in September 2015, he scored. During his subsequent match he played in the country, against the Black Cats weeks after, he scored. His third outing, against Pep Guardiola’s team soon after, well, he scored again. Upon his comeback to the northwest to take on Manchester United at the sports complex in that year, he did it once more. A spectacular strike, also. “Actually,” he remarks, “it’s a top-class goal I’ve ever scored.” Thus the club did their duty: they substituted him.
“I was furious,” the forward says, before breaking into laughter. “Probably there’s a recording. We went to play United and I was in fine form. They kept me out of the final 45 minutes: my contract wasn’t finalized my contract, I kept finding the net, speculation was rife, as you’d expect. No confirmation on Newcastle being interested, but I came across reports about the Red Devils, standard transfer gossip. 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.”
Real Sociedad ease tension with bizarre win in unique Basque clash
At the training ground, Bilbao, the day’s first practice is ready to commence; following that, the brief trip to Loiu and another trip to England, now to face Newcastle in the Champions League on Wednesday. Uttering the name lights him up. This is proving a tough year for the team, partly because of the demands of being here. Beaten in added time in the local rivalry, they have won only one of their recent league fixtures and been defeated by Arsenal and Dortmund in European competition. Yet, consider the broader view, the memorable evenings and those that lie ahead, and a sense of thankful reflection about him.
In the the period since he had returned to the club, Guruzeta has been a Europa League semi-finalist, prevented from reaching the showpiece event by the English giants, and has boarded a decades-old barge along the Nervión river flanked by a huge crowd after securing the Spanish cup, the first title in 40 years. Currently he stands as the club’s leading marksman in the European competition, where they are distinctive and debuting in a long period. “I never imagined this,” he states.
The player believed it difficult enough just to earn a spot and his assessment was correct. As the child of the former Real Sociedad player Xabi Guruzeta and a regular attendee at the club that are now his rivals, Gorka is a product of Antiguoko, the local academy that nurtured Mikel Arteta, the former star and the tactician. He joined Athletic at 17 but after his first-team bow in August 2018, he suffered a ACL injury, being released, a relegation and a recall before he could truly get a chance, making his comeback to experience the peak of the club’s history.
“Entering the youth system not expecting to reach the senior squad but with every stage 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 six games between his debut and February 2019. “Subsequently I returned to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Five, six games with them and I suffered the ACL injury.
“A massive setback but I reflect on it as a turning point because it shifted the way I saw things. Recovering from a long-term injury is hard, but it helps. You develop habits new to you. Previously I was casual, but I did the sessions and then return home, typical youth behavior. At Lezama, facilities are comprehensive, so utilize it all. Work, precaution. Hit the weights. With hip imbalance, address that. If your ankles are a 10, make it a 12 or a 14. All the minor details: perform them.
“Among professionals you’re going to collide with opponents who have been in battles 200,000 times. Extremely powerful. Reviewing old images: my legs are chicken legs. So what happens, happens. Look at pictures of me now and it’s totally different. Injury made me see that. Sessions end, but further effort is needed. Teammates are set, really ready; the same applies.”
You also have to play. He left upset in that year, aged 23, dropping into the second division. At Sabadell in the 20-21 campaign, he netted three goals in forty appearances. During his Amorebieta stint in the second half of 2021-22, the he found his form. “Players go through it: temporary moves, ended deals. Should you reverse it, work, believe, and when eventually the requirement appears in your position, recall is possible. Readiness is vital. Upon the recall, it was a dream come true. To then win the Copa del Rey, play in Europe, and reach the Champions League … pfff.”
Little surprise he states this is to be enjoyed. All the more so after the prior campaign which, at times, was involved suffering. From top scorer with 16 in 2023-24, he managed seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
