A popular video of Marc Guehi currently doing the social media rounds was created by a Crystal Palace fan. Tom Dutton has Guehi watching back England’s highlights of Euro 2024. “They’re all of me,” is the response, using footage of the famous scene from “Love Actually” when Keira Knightley’s character looks at an admirer’s highlights package of her wedding.
Guehi’s enjoying a very good Euros, and he today enhanced his reputation off the field as well as on. The England centre-back made the case for the defence in many ways. He talked of the strengths of England’s back-four which has conceded only one goal at the European Championship. He spoke out in support of the under-pressure Gareth Southgate. And he voiced disappointment that his fellow member of the Crystal Palace rearguard, Tyrick Mitchell, was not here.
Guehi was a good choice to face the music/media after training at Blankenhain. Son of a pastor, uncontroversial, bright, measured, and, that rarity, an England international shining out here. Guehi was earmarked as leadership material at a young age by Football Association coaches. He captained England Under-17s and Under-21s, racking up 58 age-group appearances, and captained Palace at 21. He looked and learned from such disparate leaders as Didier Drogba and Thiago Silva during his formative years at Chelsea before joining Palace for £18m in 2021.