‘Every minor detail – execute them’: The striker’s journey from injury table to goals with Athletic
Whenhe initial occasion the Spanish forward played in England, an 18-year-old playing for the youth squad against German opponents at the English ground in fall 2015, he scored. The second time he took the field in England, against Sunderland weeks after, he converted. The third time, against the Citizens not long later, well, he scored again. Upon his comeback to the northwest to play against the Red Devils at the sports complex in the 2017 season, he scored again. It was a superb volley, also. “In fact,” he states, “it ranks among my finest I’ve netted.” Thus the club did their duty: they substituted him.
“I was furious,” the attacker admits, and then he starts laughing. “Probably there’s a recording. We traveled to face United and I was pretty good. I wasn’t allowed to feature the second half: I hadn’t yet signed my contract, I kept finding the net, speculation was rife, it’s typical. No confirmation on Newcastle being interested, but I came across reports about the Red Devils, the usual talk. I’m not certain the validity, but even if they had called, I would have wanted to stay at the club. I feel lucky to be here.”
Real Sociedad release pressure with surreal victory in Basque derby like no other
At Lezama, Bilbao, the day’s first practice is ready to commence; post-session, the short journey to the airport and another flight to the UK, this time to face Newcastle in the Champions League on the upcoming match. Uttering the name brings a smile to his face. It has become a challenging campaign for the team, due in part to the pressures of their participation. Losing in stoppage time in the derby on Saturday, they have won only one of their last eight matches and been defeated by Arsenal and the German side in European competition. However, take in the big picture, the memorable evenings and future challenges, and he feels a calm gratitude about him.
In the three years since he had come back to Athletic, the striker has been a Europa League semi-finalist, denied at the last hurdle a domestic final by the English giants, and has traveled on a traditional boat up the Nervión estuary accompanied by a huge crowd after securing the Spanish cup, the club’s first trophy in four decades. Now he is the top goal-getter in the UCL, where they are distinctive and debuting in ten years. “I never imagined this,” he admits.
He considered it challenging enough just to break into the senior squad and he was right. Born to the ex-La Real star his father and a season ticket holder at the club that are now his rivals, the forward is a product of Antiguoko, the Donostiarra team that developed the coach, Xabi Alonso and the tactician. He signed for Athletic at his teens but after making his senior debut in that summer, he experienced a torn cruciate, dropped, a demotion and a call back before he could finally secure an opportunity, coming back aged 26 to experience the peak of their lives.
“Entering the youth system not expecting to reach the senior squad but with every stage you go through you’re remaining and you can see it getting closer. You make it and … you’re sent away.” He played six, nine, five, one, four and 20 minutes in a handful of matches between his debut and February 2019. “Then I was sent to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. A few matches with them and I tear my cruciate.
“A severe disappointment but In retrospect as a turning point because it forced me to alter the way I saw things. Healing from a serious ailment is hard, but it aids growth. You develop habits previously lacking. It’s not about neglect, but I attended practice and then go home, typical youth behavior. At Lezama, facilities are comprehensive, so take full advantage. Training, prehab. Get in the gym. Should your hips be uneven, work on that. If your ankles are a 10, make it a 12 or a 14. Every small aspect: perform them.
“Among professionals you’re going to crash into players who have been in battles 200,000 times. Highly robust. Seeing previous pictures: I had slender legs. Thus incidents occur. Look at pictures of me now and the change is dramatic. Recovery revealed that. Practice concludes, but there’s more to do. Peers are prepared, really ready; you have to be too.”
You also have to play. He left upset in the pandemic season, in his early twenties, moving to a lower level. With Sabadell in 2020-21, he netted three goals in 40 games. With Amorebieta in the second half of 2021-22, the he found his form. “Players go through it: temporary moves, ended deals. If you turn it round, work, believe, and if one day they need someone in your position, they might come back for you. Preparation is key. When they decided to call again, an aspiration fulfilled. To then win the Copa del Rey, compete continentally, and reach the Champions League … pfff.”
Understandably he remarks savor the moment. All the more so after last year which, on occasions, was focused on persistence. From top scorer with 16 in 2023-24, last season he got seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
