Athletic Club cult hero reveals hairline almost gave him the opportunity of a lifetime
To the non-seasonal League fan, the figure of Bad Toquero it might not mean much. However the first Athletic Club forward is much loved by the fans of Los Leones and many more who were familiar with his game.
Wearing the number two shirt, Toquero played in front, but he ran like a defender, relentless in his work and willing to give everything for the shirt. What he might not have had in technical ability, he made up for in work ethic, becoming a relatable figure for fans.
Toquero also has alopecia, and he revealed to La Escalera Roja (via Chain SER) that almost cost him his shot at the big time playing for the team he loves so much. During a match with Sestao River, Athletic Club manager at the time Joaquin Caparros was impressed by Toquero.
“What a shame that kid is the way he plays and the age he is,” assuming Toquero was bald. “I was already practically bald, so they thought I was much older than I was,” explained Toquero.
Gaizka Toquero has revealed that her alopecia almost cost her her shot at the big time. #AthleticClub Manager Joaquin Caparros assumed he was much older than he was while playing for Sestao River, and almost fired him. pic.twitter.com/WG1iXejECp
— Football España (@footballespana_) November 21, 2024
As it was, Athletic defender Fernando Amorebieta ran Caparros.
“At that moment, Fernando was there and said 'no, no, I played against that boy in the youth categories. I mean, I don't know if he's a year older, a year younger or something like that, but come on, he can't be five years older than me.”
This happened in 2007, when Toquero was only 23 years old, and Athletic spent the year discovering him. At the end of this, they signed Toquero from Sestao in 2008 for a fee of €25 thousand. He would spend 7 years at the club, including one on loan at Eibar, making 207 appearances, scoring 25 times and providing 20 assists. Toquero was also part of the glorious Marcelo Bielsa era at San Mames.
