Club Career
Born in Portugalete, Biscay, Guerrero joined Athletic Bilbao as an eight-year old, and subsequently progressed through the junior ranks of the club. In 1991–92, he appeared for the reserves, then playing in the second division. Alongside defender Aitor Karanka, he was a member of the U-19 team that won a national cup and league double in 1992.
In September 1992, Guerrero made his senior debut for Athletic Bilbao, while still only 18, under Jupp Heynckes. He quickly made an impact and, although a midfielder, he scored 28 La Liga goals in his first two seasons combined (65 in his first six). He was awarded the New Spanish Player of the Year by El País in 1993, and won the Spanish Footballer of the Year by both Don Balón and El País the following year. During the 1993–94 season, he scored a hat-trick against Albacete Balompié, adding four against Sporting de Gijón.
The early promise Guerrero showed attracted interest from, among others, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Juventus FC, S.S. Lazio and Manchester United. However, he remained loyal to Athletic and, in 1997, signed a ten-year contract. This was the longest contract in the club history, and also made Guerrero the side's highest-paid player.
In 1997–98, Guerrero netted eight times in 29 contests as the Basque finished second, leading to direct qualification for the UEFA Champions League. However, in subsequent seasons, his career went into decline and in 2002, he was dropped by coach Luis Fernández, while still only 28; in his last four seasons combined, he could only manage 57 games with only four goals. Despite his poor form, he remained a firm favourite among fans, and the decision to drop him caused some controversy.
On 11 July 2006, Guerrero announced his retirement as a player at an emotional press conference. In 14 seasons as a player, he scored 101 goals in 372 top flight games, adding in various European competitions a further five in 15 games, including two in the Champions League.
Immediately after retiring, Guerrero took charge of the Lezama youth ranks, leaving the post after two years.
Read more about this topic: Julen Guerrero
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