Jon Guridi achieves his dream of starting at La Real

Jon Guridi was one of the great novelties in Real Sociedad's starting eleven against Huesca. And it was also one of the great news. Because the Azpeitiarra was revealed as a more than valid alternative to give Mikel Merino air and rest. He caused Oyarzabal's 1-0 penalty, and showed great ability to cover the field with his physical display. For ‘Jongu’, as his teammates know him in Zubieta, it was not just another game. Because I was finally able to fulfill a dream that I had been looking for for a long time: be a starter in the team of his heart, Real Sociedad. A dream that came close to turning into a nightmare, with a winding, bumpy road in the shape of serious injuries That may well have led him to retire from professional football.

Guridi was always one of the players most promising of his generation, that of 95, the one that in the youth category had the opportunity to defend the Real in its only Youth League. Everyone in Zubieta assumed that sooner or later I would finish in the first team txuri-urdin. He stood out in the Real subsidiary until in 2017 he made his debut in the First Division against Alavés. But right after, his ordeal with injuries began, when he suffered a serious knee ailment that made him miss all that year. In the midst of his recovery he was renewed until 2022. In the summer of 2018, when it seemed that he was about to play again, had to stop completely to change treatment And on the way back to get the rhythm of the competition, despite being part of the first team, he went down to play with Sanse in Second B until in January of last year he was loaned to Mirandes to recover his best level.

In Miranda he had almost the last chance of his career. And the Azpeitiarra did not waste it. In season and a half at Mirandes he earned the right to be part of the Real Sociedad. Olabe always saw him as the ideal replacement for Zurutuza when he retired. And he filled his hole with much effort, counting on the trust of Imanol, who had already trained him in the realistic branch. Thus came his debut as a starter this season, with Real winning 4-1 at Huesca. Although for this also he had to overcome some discomfort he had in preseason and that led him to enter later than expected in the calls. It must be Guridi's fate. But it is here to stay. It has been too difficult for him to fulfill the first part of his dream not to take advantage of it.