Outgoing England boss Lee Carsley claims Marc Guehi “goes up another level” when playing for the Three Lions.
The Crystal Palace star has caught the eye in the Premier League with his showings at Selhurst Park. His performances have seen Guehi establish himself as a key player for England.
The defender was handed his debut for the Three Lions by Gareth Southgate back in 2022, and now has 22 international caps to his name. Guehi has continued to play a key role under Carsley – who also relied on him heavily during his time with the under-21s.
And the exiting England boss has hailed his displays in what appears to be a direct message to Thomas Tuchel. Speaking after Sunday’s 5-0 win against the Republic of Ireland, Carsley said: “I made Marc captain when I was in the Under-21s. He’s a player who has shown leadership qualities throughout his career so far.
“His maturity [is evident] not only on the pitch but off the pitch. The fact that Marc is so calm and composed next to them [the debutans] it’s brilliant.
“I think he’s had a really good camp. He’s playing really well at Palace in the games that I have seen and he’s moving in the right direction in terms of his quality.”
And while Guehi has shone for Palace since joining from boyhood club Chelsea, Carsley believes that he is even better when wearing an England shirt. He added: “When he plays for England he probably goes up another level as well.
“I still think there is a lot more to come from Marc. Physically, he’s fast and he’s aggressive. On the ball, he is excellent as well so he just needs to keep improving. There’s good competition for places in that centre-back position but Marc is definitely worthy of his position.”
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Away from the England camp, Guehi’s performances have garnered admiring glances from elsewhere. Palace’s Premier League rivals Newcastle were interested in the summer and saw a number of bids rejected for his services.
He has just under two years remaining on his contract with Crystal Palace. Speaking about his future in the summer, he said: “If I had a magic wand to sort everything out in an instant I would, but I don’t.
“You can’t control any exterior noise. I just focus on my football and giving my best. I want to play as long as possible. If I could play to 40, great. I have stopped trying to figure out where I end up [in my career] because you can get too wrapped up in those things.
“I’ve had a few goals that didn’t go quite right, saying at this age I should be here. That’s a bit too presumptuous. Everyone has their own journey.”
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