Ever since Roy Hodgson’s departure from Crystal Palace at the end of the 2020-21 season, the Eagles have been proactive in the market for both, a new manager, and some new players.
Firstly, they courted for former Borussia Dortmund man Lucien Favre, who was very close to accepting the job before negotiations broke down, but the Eagles finally got their manager in Patrick Vieira, who returns to the Premier League after 10 years since his last appearance as a player.
Proud and excited to be part of this new journey. I want to thank the @CPFC board for their trust & thank the fans for the amount of support I've been getting for the past few days. I can't wait to see you there, back where it all started @premierleague. Come on you Eagles 🦅❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/fa8BO6LZgW
— Patrick Vieira (@OfficialVieira) July 4, 2021
On the player front too, Palace have been very active as they bought in the likes of Michael Olise and Remi Matthews from the lower division but their biggest signing this year might well be Marc Guehi from Chelsea, for a fee of around £18 million.
Everyone might now know about the 21-year-old. But how much do you really know about Guehi? FootTheBall takes you through 10 facts about the Chelsea academy graduate that you may not know about.
1. EARLY MIGRANTS INTO ENGLAND
Marc Guehi hails from the city of Abidjan, the economic and de facto capital of Ivory Coast but moved to England at the very age of 1 when his then recently married parents decided to move away from Africa seeking a new life.
2. STRICT CHILDHOOD
As a boy originating from a city such as Abidjan which has produced stars such as Didier Drogba, football surprisingly, was not his first-choice option, mainly due to the strict childhood he had.
Guehi during his debut for Chelsea in the EFL Cup. (Image Courtesy: Chelsea / Website)
His father was the minister of their local church which meant that his childhood often focused on religion and education over football and at times, Guehi was often found playing the drums in their church on Sunday mornings.
3. A DEVOUT CHRISTIAN
Religion is still an important part of Guehi’s life as it was during his early days. Talking in an interview in February, he said,
“I’ve grown up loving God and when I have had the chance I still go to church with my family, and my faith is definitely a big part of my life.”
“Faith is everything that I’m involved with, really; even in football, where I’m trying to be a role model and show God’s graciousness and God’s glory through my life.”
4. A LEADER FROM A YOUNG AGE
Guehi had been a leader in the Chelsea youth teams from a young age and was the captain for the Under-18 side during their treble-winning campaign in 2016-17.
Guehi celebrating after scoring for England in the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. (Image Courtesy: FA / Website)
He was also the captain of the England side that won the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup held in India and led a squad filled with players such as Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho, Angel Gomes, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Emile Smith Rowe.
5. BREAKTHROUGH
In his own words Guehi says, Education was the priority at home in the early days, rather than football, which Guehi says “made it to the front (of the queue) as I got older”.
The 21-year-old started off at the age of six for Cray Wanderers, where he was coached by a Chelsea scout. A year later, he joined the Chelsea youth system at the under-8’s level and has progressed through the ranks before debuting for the Blues in September 2020.
In the second half of the 2019-20 season, he made a move to Swansea on a six-month loan where he played a key role in their run to the playoffs after finishing sixth.
Marc Guehi during his presentation as a Swansea player for the first time. (Image Courtesy: Swansea City / Website)
He returned to the Welsh club for another season on loan for the 2020-21 campaign and was ever-present in the defence for manager Steve Cooper and played every minute of the playoffs but just fell short after their loss to Brentford in the final.
6. QUITE A VERSATILE PLAYER
Although he primarily played as a centre-back for Swansea in his 18 months over there, Marc Guehi can also play as a full-back on either side of the pitch if the team demands.
Guehi is naturally right-footed but often plays on the left side. And his left foot is not just used for standing but can find pin-point passes when required. This was mainly due to the individual drills in Chelsea’s youth system that encouraged academy players to be equally comfortable passing with either foot.
7. THE MISCHIEVOUS TRIO
In the 2020 winter transfer window, Swansea City somehow unknowingly brought back the group “The Three Musketeers” to the club. Guehi was the most mature one, but his partners, Conor Gallagher and Rhian Brewster, who are now at West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United respectively, were the more mischievous ones.
Guehi with his Brewster during their loan spell at Swansea. (Image Courtesy: Swansea City / Website)
All three started off together in Chelsea’s under-8’s and continued their bonds into the England age-group setup as well.
8. A LOW SOCIAL PROFILE
Unlike other footballers in this day and age, Marc Guehi is quite away from posting to an extent that he currently does not have an Instagram or Twitter profile.
Prior to his move to Crystal Palace, Guehi used to have an Instagram profile but that has become inactive in the past couple of days, which can an indication that the youngster wants to stay away from the social world until the start of the season.
9. WAG?
Guehi is presently unmarried and is also single. He is not dating anyone, at least that is what we can incur as there is no evidence of a partner in his public. It can be that the 21-year-old wants to focus on his football and want to prosper in his career.
But it is also possible that there is a secret relationship in his life that he has not yet revealed to the public.
10. LIFESTYLE AND NET WORTH
Guehi’s present net worth is not available due to him signing a new contract with Crystal Palace just a few days ago. Prior to his move, he was on a youth player contract at Chelsea and these details have not been disclosed by the club.
Guehi, playing for Swansea in the Championship. (Image Courtesy: Wales Online/ Website)
After his return to Chelsea from Swansea City, Marc Guehi was valued at £9 million but the Eagles had to cough up double the amount to prise the defender away from Stamford Bridge. If the youngster goes on to continue his dazzling performances, that value might exponentially rise in the next few years, which will only help his growth and also get Palace some nice profit.
