Ibai: “I really want to help out the team on the pitch”

Athletic Club winger and birthday boy Ibai Gómez, 31, is hopeful he’ll be available for Athletic’s upcoming fixture against Real Betis on Monday, November 30.

The Bilbao-born player has missed the beginning of the season after fracturing his collarbone during a training session on August 19.

“I’ve been training with my teammates for four weeks now and I feel good,” Ibai said at a press conference in Lezama. “But the doctors want to be careful to make sure there’s no setbacks and I understand that.

“Today is the first day I’ve done absolutely everything with the group and I know I still have to get back a bit of confidence in my shoulder. Confidence when falling, when going into challenges, etc.

“I’ll keep working over these next two weeks and I’m hopeful I’ll be given the all-clear next week.”

Ibai called for unity when asked about the current situation regarding the first team.

“We are aware that Athletic should always be in Europe, or at least be in the fight to be there, and we’re working towards that,” he added. “Right now the results aren’t going our way and those who are here know that we have to turn this situation around.

“We have to give the fans something to be excited about, because we know the fans never let us down.”

The winger also spoke about his own desire to return to the pitch and help out his teammates.

“I really want to get back out on the pitch and help the team from the inside,” Gómez said. “For my part, I’m working as hard as I can to make things difficult for the coach and my teammates when I get into the starting line-up.

“This is the mentality we all have, because that makes all of us improve. 

“I’m very much about having short-term dreams and my dream right now is to get some continuity in the Athletic first team.”