‘All those silly things – do them’: The striker’s path from injury table to goals with the Basque club
The debut appearance the Athletic striker played in English soil, an young playing for Athletic Bilbao B against German opponents at Adams Park in September 2015, he found the net. The second time he took the field in England, against the Black Cats two months later, he converted. Another occasion, against Manchester City six weeks after that, well, he repeated the feat. As he revisited to Manchester to face United at Leigh Sports Village in that year, he scored again. An excellent finish, too. “Truly,” he says, “it ranks among my finest in my career.” So Athletic did what was necessary: they substituted him.
“I got well angry,” the Athletic striker says, and then he starts laughing. “There must be a video somewhere. We traveled to face United and I performed well. I wasn’t allowed to feature the second half: I hadn’t yet signed deal, I kept finding the net, speculation was rife, you know how it is. I’m unsure regarding the Magpies’ pursuit, but I remember reading about the Red Devils, the typical thing. I have no idea how true it was, but even if they had called, I would have wanted to stay at the club. I feel lucky to be here.”
La Real relieve strain with extraordinary derby triumph
At the facility, the Basque Country, the early training is about to start; following that, the quick travel to the airport and a further journey to Britain, this time to face Newcastle in the Champions League on the upcoming match. Just saying those two words brings a smile to his face. It’s turning out to be a difficult season for the club, partly because of the demands of being here. Losing in stoppage time in the local rivalry, they have won only one of their recent league fixtures and been defeated by Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund in the continental stage. However, look at the overall situation, the major occasions he’s experienced and those that lie ahead, and a sense of thankful reflection within him.
In the three years since he had come back to Athletic, Gorka has been a Europa League semi-finalist, stopped at the gates the showpiece event by the English giants, and has boarded a decades-old barge along the Nervión river accompanied by a huge crowd after winning the Copa del Rey, the club’s first trophy in 40 years. Currently he stands as the club’s leading marksman in the Champions League, where they are countercultural and debuting in a decade. “I never imagined this,” he states.
The player believed it hard enough just to make the first team and his assessment was correct. The son of the ex-La Real star his father and a regular attendee at the team he now opposes, Gorka is from the Antiguoko academy, the Donostiarra team that developed Mikel Arteta, Xabi Alonso and the tactician. His move to Athletic came at seventeen but after his top-level debut in August 2018, he suffered a serious knee problem, being released, a relegation and a call back before he could truly get a chance, returning at 26 to live the best days of their lives.
“You go into the academy doubting you’ll make the top level but each step you go through you’re still there and you can observe the approach. You arrive and then … departure is necessary.” He played six, nine, five, one, four and 20 minutes in a handful of matches between his first game and early 2019. “And then I go back down to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. A few matches at that level and my knee gave way.
“It was a huge blow but I reflect on it as something positive because it made me change the way I saw things. Healing from a serious ailment is difficult, but it’s beneficial. You adopt practices previously lacking. It’s not that you don’t look after yourself, but I did the sessions and then go home, like when you’re a kid. At Lezama, facilities are comprehensive, so utilize it all. Practice, prevention. Hit the weights. Should your hips be uneven, work on that. If your ankles are a 10, improve it more. Every small aspect: execute them.
“At the top level you’re going to crash into players who have been in battles countless occasions. Extremely powerful. Seeing previous pictures: my physique was slight. So what happens, happens. Current photos and the change is dramatic. The setback taught me. Sessions end, but additional work remains. Everyone else is ready, really ready; no exceptions.”
You also have to play. He left in tears in that year, aged 23, dropping into the second division. With Sabadell in that season, he got three strikes in 40 games. At Amorebieta in the second half of 2021-22, the scoring picked up. “Many experience this: temporary moves, ended deals. If you turn it round, effort, faith, and should the time come they need someone in your position, a return could happen. Preparation is key. When they decided to call again, a fantasy realized. The trophy success, compete continentally, and make the UCL … pfff.”
No wonder he says this is to be enjoyed. Especially after the prior campaign which, sometimes, was involved suffering. After being leading scorer with 16 in 2023-24, he managed seven in {15 games more|additional matches|