England manager Gareth Southgate has expressed his admiration for Marc Guéhi of Crystal Palace, who is set to be part of the squad for the match against Italy at Wembley tonight. Guéhi, a talented young defender, has gained six England caps since joining Crystal Palace in 2021 and is considered one of the standout young defenders in the Premier League.
Southgate, the former captain of Crystal Palace, has openly shown his delight at the progress of the 23-year-old Guéhi, providing him with consecutive starts in the September international break against Ukraine and Scotland. Tonight’s match against Italy, a rematch of the 2021 European Championship final, offers the Three Lions the opportunity to secure their place in the 2024 tournament in Germany with a draw.
Speaking in a pre-match press conference, Southgate praised Guéhi, saying, “Marc is performing exceptionally well. He displayed great maturity in his performances last month. While he may not always grab the spotlight like some other players, he consistently positions himself well and rarely has to make up for mistakes. He’s a composed and calm player with an excellent understanding of positioning and a strong mentality. We believe he is making significant progress.”
Guéhi has also talked about his development while training with the England squad, specifically mentioning the valuable experience of working alongside John Stones and Harry Maguire, both of whom he competes with for a starting position. Guéhi expressed his gratitude for the opportunity, saying, “I’m fortunate to be here and be selected, so I’ve been observing Maguire and John Stones daily. I’ve been trying to learn from their training routines, their qualities, and incorporate elements of their game into my own. They’ve been themselves, and that’s been tremendously helpful in my development.”
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