Marc Guéhi is an English professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Crystal Palace in the Premier League and represents the England national team.
Early life
Addji Keaninkin Marc-Israel Guéhi was born on July 13, 2000, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. When he was one year old, his family relocated to London, England. Raised by a father who was a local church minister, Guéhi’s childhood was heavily influenced by religion and education. At age six, he began playing football with the Cray Wanderers youth system, where he was coached by a scout from Chelsea. After two years with the non-league club, he joined Chelsea and progressed through their academy.
Career
Progressing through the youth ranks, Guéhi regularly featured for the under-18s during their successful treble-winning campaign in 2017. In September 2017, he signed his first professional contract for three years. The following season, he helped the under-18s achieve a quadruple and reach the final of the UEFA Youth League.
On 12 May 2019, Guéhi was included in a Premier League squad for the first time as a substitute in a match against Leicester City. He remained an unused substitute three more times during the 2019–20 season. On 17 September, he was an unused substitute in a Champions League match against Valencia. The following week, he made his professional debut in an EFL Cup third-round victory over Grimsby Town. His second and final appearance for the club came in a fourth-round defeat to Manchester United on 30 October.
Loan to Swansea City:
On 10 January 2020, Guéhi joined Championship club Swansea City on loan for the remainder of the 2019–20 season. This move reunited him with Steve Cooper, who had managed him in England’s 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup-winning squad. After being named as an unused substitute twice, Guéhi made his debut in a match against Stoke City on 25 January. He stayed in the starting lineup for the next four games but faced criticism after Swansea failed to win any of their last five games. Cooper defended him, stating that it was challenging for young players to make an immediate impact.
Following a three-month pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Guéhi was named on the bench twice before returning as a late substitute in a draw against Millwall. On 5 July, he made his first start in five months in a win over Sheffield Wednesday. He started in all five of Swansea’s remaining league matches and helped secure a play-off position. He played in both legs of the semi-final as Swansea lost on aggregate to Brentford.
On 26 August 2020, Guéhi returned to Swansea on loan for the 2020–21 season. He became a key figure in defense, with only four Swansea players logging more minutes throughout the campaign. Guéhi began the season with three consecutive clean sheets and went on to keep 14 more in the league as Swansea finished fourth. He played every minute of their play-off campaign, which included a semi-final victory over Barnsley before a final defeat to Brentford.
Crystal Palace:
On 18 July 2021, Guéhi joined Crystal Palace on a five-year contract for a reported fee of £18 million, making him the club’s third-most expensive signing ever, behind Christian Benteke and Mamadou Sakho. Chelsea included sell-on incentives and the right to match any future offers for Guéhi.
International Career:
Guéhi captained the England national under-17 team at the UEFA European Under-17 Championship in May 2017, playing in every match and scoring an own goal in the opening win against Norway. England lost to Spain in the final on penalties. In October 2017, he was included in the squad for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, where he scored the fourth goal in the final against Spain, leading England to become world champions.
In October 2018, Guéhi progressed to the England under-19 team and scored in a friendly against Portugal, as well as in the 2019 Elite Qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Denmark. In August 2019, Guéhi was included in the England under-21 squad for the first time, and on 6 September 2021, Lee Carsley named him captain of the under-21s.
Guéhi received his first call-up to the England senior team in March 2022 for friendly matches against Switzerland and Ivory Coast. He made his senior debut in a win over Switzerland at Wembley Stadium on 26 March.
Net Worth
Undisclosed