LIVERPOOL target Marc Guehi was around five when he first watched Match of the Day and fell in love with it.
For him it was always about the joy of football and the happiness it brought.
A young Guehi when he was at Chelsea academy
PAFrom just a boy from south London with a dream to the captain of Crystal Palace[/caption]
GettyHe’s also established himself as a England regular in the last few years[/caption]
He enjoyed watching Lineker and the highlights, but never imagined it would become his career. As a child, his main focus was education.
His parents ensured he remained grounded from a young age and that calm, composed nature is evident when he plays.
His father, affectionately known as Papa Guehi, exclusively told SunSport: “Marc’s story is quite straightforward.
“He loved Drogba and Thiago Silva. In fact, he once did a presentation on Thiago while at the Chelsea academy.
“If you speak to the coaches, they’ll tell you how he loved the Brazilian defender when he was child.”
Guehi’s journey to Chelsea was equally direct. It was around 2007, during the time when Chelsea operated development centres across London.
Their main training ground is in Cobham, a very posh part of the city, so the club set up satellite development hubs across London to scout young talent.
Papa Guehi recalls: “There were around two thousand kids scouted around that time.That was the first step in his football journey.
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“They kept cutting the group down gradually and it wasn’t until 2009 that he finally signed as a Chelsea academy player.
“Rhian Brewster, Dujon Sterling, Reece James, all those boys came through that system. It’s those development centres that made Chelsea’s academy one of the best in the world.”
There’s a proverb that says: You can only fold a leaf when it’s green, once it dries, it will break. Guehi’s leadership qualities were instilled in him early.
He might have had them in him but the way he was brought up certainly meant he didn’t lose them at any point.
His father explained: “One of the first things I tried to teach him was how to be a leader. He looked after his younger sister even as a small boy, and that attitude, looking out for others, is still present in his game.
“When people call him a leader at Palace, it’s because it was instilled in him from a young age.”
Being signed by a club like Chelsea is just the beginning, that’s when the real work starts, and family life starts revolving around the child.
Guehi didn’t sign a professional contract until 2017. Even then, he didn’t reward himself with a flashy car. Everyone at Chelsea knew he drove his mum’s Volkswagen Golf.
While some teammates bought new homes, Guehi stayed at home and continued driving his mum’s car to training.
GettyGuehi’s rise is a good example for kids in South London with a dream of playing football[/caption]
SportsfileHe speaks as eloquently as he plays[/caption]
That car is still the family car and he’s made a point to keep it as it reminds him of his journey.
He got his Chelsea debut under Frank Lampard in the first team in two cup games but his first step into senior football came via a loan to Swansea City.
Paulo Ferreira who was in charge of the loan players at Chelsea had taken a liking to him so he recommended a move away that would give him game time.
Chelsea had a good relationship with Swansea at the time, and Steve Cooper, known for his work with young players, was in charge.
Tammy Abraham and Conor Gallagher had both gone on loan there, and so did Guehi.
But it didn’t start well. “There’s a saying: everything that shines must go through fire. And it was at Swansea that Marc truly understood how brutal football can be.
The early days were truly rough, his father recalls: “I wouldn’t say it was a success right away. After four or five games, he was dropped with no explanation.
“Then COVID hit, which made things even harder. Going out on loan isn’t easy, especially when the club is under pressure.
“The good thing was that it was an 18-month loan. By the second season, he was well established.”
The tough start at Swansea helped shape Guehi’s mindset. When he returned to Chelsea, he had made up his mind, no more loans.
Frank Lampard didn’t seem to rate him and rarely spoke to him directly, so Guehi arranged a meeting with one of the assistants to make it clear he wanted to leave.
Chelsea had other plans for him but he wanted to play and he wanted to be part of a team not go on loan again.
Some clubs had shown interest in but Patrick Vieira who was then the manager of Palace spoke to him and straight away decided he was the right man to build his defence around.
He was part of a group of young Chelsea players who were tipped to become super stars
He just could not find a pathway through the Chelsea first team but that didn’t break himGetty
Vieira told SunSport, when asked about the now Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle target: “Some deals are easy to say yes to right away and this was one of them. I’m happy to see him doing well. We knew he would from day one.”
Palace had planned to give him the first ten games to prove himself. But by the second game, he had already won over every member of Vieira’s coaching staff. He was thorough and a natural leader.
While Conor Gallagher grabbed headlines during his loan, Guehi quietly built a solid foundation as a reliable, consistent defender.
Gareth Southgate occasionally checked in to encourage him to stay focused telling him a national team call-up would come.
His father says Vieira kept his word: “Vieira promised him game time and kept his word. For us, it wasn’t about money. We understood that for young players, it’s about playing and Palace gave him that.”
Guehi’s stock continued to rise with every performance. Even teammate Jordan Ayew noticed his leadership. He said: “You see, some players are very talented but not natural leaders. With Marc, it was clear as day.
“Always on time, professional, ate well, recovered properly. Very calm.”
Last summer, he won over even the hard-to-please Steve Parish. After a brilliant Euros, Newcastle made him their number one target.
They not only saw him as a top player but as a leader and a great presence in the dressing room. They bid over £60million for him.
Patrick Vieira brought him to Crystal Palace
GettyHe came through the ranks as one of England’s golden generations[/caption]
But unlike others, Guehi didn’t down tools or push for the move. Papa Guehi explains:
“Let me tell you one thing, the discussion was between the club and no player or family got involved.
“He has so much respect for them (Palace) because they rescued him from being just a loan player.Until recently, he didn’t even have social media, maybe he’s got one now just to interact with fans.
“He never thought, ‘If I force a move, Palace will let me go.’ No. He was focused and stayed professional and he always will.
“I don’t know where he’ll end up. But one thing is certain: Palace will have to agree to the move before Marc does anything because he still has a contract with him.”
Guehi’s qualities on and off the pitch make him not only a good player but a real quality humanbeing to have around.
Liverpool have seen that are willing to do a deal this summer instead of wait for him to be free after this season- but time is running out with the transfer window shutting tonight.
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