Athletic Club cult hero reveals hairline almost cost him opportunity of a lifetime

To the non-seasoned La Liga fan, the figure of Gaizka Toquero might not mean much. However the former Athletic Club forward is deeply loved by fans of Los Leones and plenty more who were familiar with his game.

Wearing the number two shirt, Toquero played up front but ran like a full-back, relentless in his work and willing to give it his all for the shirt. What he might not have had in technical ability, he made up for in work-rate, becoming a relatable figure for the fans.

Toquero also has alopecia, and has revealed to La Escalera Roja (via Cadena SER) that it almost cost him his shot at the big time playing for the team he loves so dearly. During a clash with Sestao River, Athletic Club manager at the time Joaquin Caparros was impressed by Toquero.

“What a shame it is that boy the way he plays and how old he is,” assuming that Toquero was balding. “I was already practically bald, so they thought I was much older than I was,” Toquero explained.

As it was, Athletic defender Fernando Amorebieta corrected Caparros.

“At that moment, Fernando was there and said ‘no, no, I have 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’.”

That occurred in 2007, and Athletic spent the year scouting him. At the end of it, they would sign Toquero from Sestao in 2008 for a fee of €25k. He would spend 7 years at the club, including one on loan at Eibar, making 207 appearances, scoring 25 times and giving 20 assists. Toquero was also part of the glorious Marcelo Bielsa era at San Mames.