Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi’s aiming to be one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League
New Crystal Palace signing Marc Guehi wants to establish himself as one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League.
The 21-year-old penned a five-year deal at Selhurst Park after completing his £18million move from Chelsea earlier in the summer.
Guehi, who enjoyed a successful year and a half on loan with Swansea City, was one of the first signings that Patrick Vieira made for his Eagles revolution – and the fledgling defender hopes to seamlessly carry over his stellar performances from the Championship to the Premier League.
When asked what his new fans can expect from him, Guehi said: “A lot of commitment. A lot of drive. I am hoping to really improve here, not just show what I can do, but really improve. Hopefully, in years to come, as well as this season, be one of the best centre-backs in the league.”
A vital element that the new recruits have all cited as a significant factor in their decision to join Palace this summer was the discussions with new head coach Vieira prior to signing, and Guehi is no exception.
“He just said to me that he’d allow me to improve under him – that he would take me to a new level, and I truly believe that,” said Guehi. “With what he has done already as a coach at Nice and the City academy, I really took to that as well.”
The Lewisham-raised U17 World Cup winner, who spent 13 years with Chelsea before leaving for Palace less than a month ago, will be welcomed back to Stamford Bridge tomorrow for his first competitive appearance in an Eagles shirt.
“I am looking forward to it, said Guehi. “It’s going to be an exciting game, but I am a Palace player now. I am fully concentrated and focused on Palace and doing as well as possible as I can for Palace.”
When asked if it was a difficult decision to leave the Blues, Guehi said: “Yeah. I had been there since the age of seven, so Chelsea is all I know. I know that I was on loan at Swansea last season, but Chelsea will always be in my heart. But me and my family thought that this would be the best decision for me. I hope I can really achieve some success here with Palace.”
An early showing of Vieira’s Palace has demonstrated a team that plays out from the back, with the two centre-backs integral for the style of play to be a success. And Guehi, when asked how important that ethos was to him, said: “Yeah, it’s really important. I am that type of player, I do like playing out from the back, and I think I have the qualities for that.
“For me, it didn’t really matter too much – I knew that Palace was the club for me. It’s really exciting times here, and I am really looking forward to the way we will be playing, and hopefully the fans will enjoy it as well.
“We have got a lot of ambition, and we’re hoping that we can do really well this season and finish as high as possible.”