Gurgul debuts in Ekstraklasa

September 23rd, 2013. 9th league round of 2013/2014 Ekstraklasa season. Lech faces Piast in an away match. The line-up includes the 17-year-old Jan Bednarek for whom it’s an official debut in the league. Lech triumphs 2:0.

March 12th, 2023. 24th round of the 2022/2023 Ekstraklasa season. Lech faces Piast in an away match. In the second half, 17-year-old Michał Gurgul makes his official debut in the league. Lech draws 1:1.

“On Saturday, in the hotel before the match, I heard Jan Bednarek’s story. The next day, I got to debut in the same stadium,” said Michał whose dad and cousin supported him from the stands. “They came when it turned out that I was going with the team [to Gliwice] because I was a part of the match squad. They didn’t expect me to debut since neither did I. The coaches didn’t give me a heads-up that I would come in. I was waiting, I was ready, but I didn’t know it would happen,” added Gurgul.

In the 61st minute of the Sunday clash, coach John van den Brom decided to make three changes. One of them involved Lubomir Šatka getting some rest, having just gotten back after an injury, whilst Michał Gurgul replaced him in the defensive line. The 17-year-old didn’t hide his smile as he ran onto the pitch. “Surprisingly, I wasn’t nervous. I was coolheaded and calm. My teammates were very helpful since the moment I came in. Bartek Salamon, who was positioned next to me, gave me the most tips. All the other players also communicated with me and supported me,” explained the youngster.

Michał Gurgul joined the first team in winter. He made his unofficial debut in a friendly match against Hansa Rostock (4:0). “My dream to debut in the league has come true. It’s an incredible experience. However, I know it’s just the beginning, merely the first step,” emphasized Gurgul. “Everything happened very fast between the unofficial debut and the Sunday game, but I was ready. Now the objective is to calmly develop as a player and keep on accomplishing new things, step by step, without a rush,” said the 17-year-old.