When coaches, teammates and those who know Marc Guehi well are asked about the central defender’s strengths, it is his composure that is systematically cited.
So it’s no surprise that the 23-year-old performed so well at Euro 2024. One of the Premier League’s most promising young defenders entered the finals with ease and was arguably the best English player in Germany so far. Certainly one of the most regular. Amid all this drama, he has been a constant and assured presence at the heart of the defense.
Before the Euros, the quality of England’s defense was a source of great concern, and the absence of Harry Maguire, who, despite all his detractors, is the leader of that defense, was a source of additional concern. But Guehi and his more experienced central defense partner John Stones ensured Gareth Southgate’s side posted the best defensive performances of any team in the competition so far. It’s at the other end of the pitch where Southgate has the most problems.
It is perhaps typical of Guehi’s character that when asked about those defensive stats and performances, he was quick to dismiss the idea that he was England’s best player and paid tribute to Maguire for helping him establish himself at international level since his debut in 2022.
But this modesty only masks the determination and dynamism of Guehi’s personality which have taken him to the top of the game and led various club and international football coaches to name him captain of their team.
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Marc Guehi pays tribute to England manager Gareth Southgate as he prepares for Slovakia game
England age group captain and stand-in captain at Crystal Place at 21, Guehi is a player who sets an example for his team-mates.
“I was immediately impressed by his maturity,” said England Under-21 coach Lee Carsley, naming him captain. “The way he talks about the game, the way he influences players off the field. The example he sets off and on the field made him an easy choice.” England senior boss Gareth Southgate praised him for never looking rushed.
These are qualities that have been present from the beginning. “When Marc was here, he was calm, kind, intelligent, hard-working and a real team player,” said Edward Dove, former principal of Guehi Elementary School. Sky Sports News.
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Sky Sports News’ James Cole visits Marc Guehi’s primary school to see where it all began for the England centre-back
This is the youngster Michael Beale knew well. The former Rangers boss was one of the leading coaches at Chelsea’s academy and took Guehi – a kid from the same south-east London estate and primary school as Beale – under his wing.
Beale got to know Guehi’s father, John, a minister, and even drove Guehi up the M25 to Cobham, where the young defender listened enthusiastically, learned and developed within an elite group of rising stars.
“He was a very shy boy but he came alive on the pitch,” Beale said. Aerial sports. “He was an extremely well-mannered young man. I can’t think of too many stories of mischief!
“His discipline was driven by the family, but even when he was very young, compared to the other boys, he was always very focused, working hard in every session. He never missed a session that I can remember.”
This attitude was accompanied by a thirst for defense.
Marc Guéhi showed a thirst for defense from a young age
“He was always a defender,” Beale recalled. “He was like a reckless on the attackers, aggressive in the tackles. He liked to keep his game very simple and then pass it on to the midfielders or the attackers quite quickly and he hasn’t changed since.
“You see how aggressive he is, how he blocks and how he steals possession. But he is very calm when he defends. »
At Chelsea, then loaned to Swansea and Crystal Palace, Guehi played with Conor Gallagher. “It seems we can’t leave each other alone,” the midfielder joked. “We are best friends.”
They are now teammates in England during this Euro and the quality of the Chelsea training center goes some way to helping them become internationals and top players in the Premier League. Another player at this academy was Declan Rice, who also started for the Three Lions against Slovenia.
“Chelsea was and still is a fantastic academy,” says Beale. “We worked a lot across London to recruit the best players from all areas.
“Look at the players in the age groups in and around Marc’s: Mason Mount, Declan Rice, Fikayo Tomori, Ola Aina, Tammy Abraham, Dominic Solanke, Reece James, Rhian Brewster, Callum Hudson-Odoi…
“When you had that mix of players, the academy games here in the UK but also further afield and playing in Europe, the experience they had playing together and the strength of the bond those boys had was fantastic.
“They pushed each other. The practice games were always the best games of the week.
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A look at central defender Marc Guehi’s best moments during the 2023-24 campaign
Like many of the players mentioned above, Guehi had to leave Chelsea to find a regular first-team role, but he is now being linked with a summer move that would take him to the top of the Premier League, with Manchester United and Liverpool reportedly interested in a move.
The centre-back is not the tallest defender in the league at 1.80m and he is a right-footed player playing on the left side of a back line, but Beale is confident Guehi would cope with this transition to one of the biggest clubs in the country, highlighting his technical skills in this position.
“His reading of the game and his athletic qualities allow him to gain a meter on his center forward,” specifies Beale.
Marc Guehi was one of the best English players at the Euro
“He shows huge confidence playing on the left side and his technical education at Chelsea means he can use his left foot, even though he is dominant on his right foot.
“When you see teams line up, he’s not the biggest centre-back but he’s got a huge leap forward.
“Quietly, people are realizing that we have a real gem in him.”
He may be too humble to sing his own praises, but Geehi has a lot of people talking about him now.
