Thehe first time the Spanish forward competed in England, an teenage appearing for Athletic Bilbao B against Bundesliga youth at the English ground in September 2015, he hit the target. During his subsequent match he took the field in the country, against Sunderland two months later, he netted. His third outing, against Manchester City soon after, sure enough, he repeated the feat. When he returned to the northwest to take on Manchester United at Leigh Sports Village in 2017, he scored again. A spectacular strike, also. “Truly,” he says, “it’s a top-class goal I’ve netted.” Thus the club did what they had to do: they took him off.
“I was furious,” the forward admits, before breaking into laughter. “I’m sure there’s footage. We traveled to face United and I performed well. They kept me out of the final 45 minutes: I was without a signed agreement, I kept finding the net, speculation was rife, as you’d expect. No confirmation on the Magpies’ pursuit, but I remember reading about Manchester United, the usual talk. I have no idea if it was accurate, 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 training ground, the Basque Country, the early training is about to start; following that, the brief trip to the airport and another flight to Britain, this time to take on the Magpies in the Champions League on Wednesday. Just saying those two words brings a smile to his face. It’s turning out to be a challenging campaign for the club, due in part to the demands of competing at this level. Beaten in added time in the derby on Saturday, they have managed just one win of their last eight matches and fallen to the Gunners and Dortmund in European competition. But, take in the big picture, the memorable evenings and upcoming events, and there’s a kind of quiet appreciation within him.
In the 36 months since he had come back to Athletic, Gorka has been a final four contender in Europe, prevented from reaching a domestic final by United, and has traveled on a traditional boat through the waterway flanked by a huge crowd after securing the Spanish cup, the first title in four decades. Currently he stands as the top goal-getter in the European competition, where they are unique and making their first appearance in a long period. “I never imagined this,” he states.
The player believed it hard enough just to make the first team and he was right. As the child of the ex-La Real star Xabi Guruzeta and a dedicated fan at the opposition side, the forward is a graduate of Antiguoko, the Donostiarra team that developed the coach, Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola. He joined Athletic at seventeen but after making his senior debut in August 2018, he suffered a serious knee problem, the cut, a drop in category and a call back before he could truly get a chance, making his comeback to live the best days of his career.
“Joining the setup not expecting to reach the senior squad but with every stage you progress through you’re remaining and you can notice the proximity. You arrive and then … you have to leave.” He played six, nine, five, one, four and 20 minutes in half a dozen appearances between his bow and early 2019. “Subsequently I returned to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Several appearances with them and I suffered the ACL injury.
“It was a huge blow but I reflect on it as something positive because it forced me to alter the outlook. Recovering from a long-term injury is hard, but it helps. You adopt practices previously lacking. Previously I was casual, but I did the sessions and then go home, typical youth behavior. At the complex, you have everything, so utilize it all. Training, prehab. Get in the gym. If your hips aren’t balanced, work on that. Assuming ankle mobility is good, make it a 12 or a 14. All the minor details: execute them.
“Among professionals you’re going to crash into players who have crashed into players 200,000 times. They’re so strong. Seeing previous pictures: I had slender legs. So what happens, happens. Current photos and it’s totally different. The setback taught me. Sessions end, but there’s more to do. Teammates are set, really ready; the same applies.”
Game time is essential. He left in tears in that year, aged 23, moving to a lower level. At Sabadell in the 20-21 campaign, he got three strikes in numerous matches. During his Amorebieta stint in the latter part of the season, the goals started to flow. “Many experience this: temporary moves, ended deals. If you turn it round, dedication, confidence, and when eventually a vacancy arises in your position, a return could happen. You have to be ready. When the opportunity came, a fantasy realized. To then win the Copa del Rey, play in Europe, and make the UCL … pfff.”
No wonder he says savor the moment. Particularly after the prior campaign which, on occasions, was focused on persistence. From top scorer with 16 in 2023-24, his output dropped to seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
