Marc Guehi is a Crystal Palace defender who is currently in the news following a controversy involving the rainbow captain’s armband, find out more about him and his parents
The young centre-back made headlines for defying Premier League rules and writing the words “I love Jesus” on his rainbow captain armband.
Who is Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, bio, age, height, family, parents, girlfriend, position, religion, stats, salary and contract
Crystal Palace defender Marc Guéhi wrote "Jesus loves you" on his rainbow-coloured captain's armband against Ipswich Town despite a reminder from England's Football Association (FA) over religious messages. pic.twitter.com/va8eWVy2hk
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) December 3, 2024
As part of the Rainbow Laces campaign, the Premier League recently had various club captains wear a rainbow armband.
Marc Guehi bio
Marc Guehi, full name Addji Keaninkin Marc-Israel Guéhi is a professional footballer who was born on July 13, 2000, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. He mainly plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Crystal Palace and for the England national team despite being born in Ivory Coast. This is because Marc spent only a year of his childhood life there before his parents decided to leave for England after his first birthday.
Notably, Marc who is a Christian by religion did not grow up playing football during his childhood and instead grew up playing the drums at his family church. However, he eventually discovered his passion for football and started pursuing it despite initial reluctance from his family.
Age and height
Marc Guehi is currently 24 years old and stands at a height of 1.82 m.
Marc Guehi family
Marc Guehi was born to parents John Guehi and Addji Keaninkin, both of whom are actively involved in church ministry. Guehi has three other siblings, all sisters and still lives with his entire family together. His family is originally from the Ivory Coast, and they hold strong religious values.
According to reports, Marc Guehi’s father, John, is a pastor and once operated a local church in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Just like her husband, Mrs. Addji Keaninkin is also a church minister and has been doing congregational duties since back during her time in Abidjan.
He is extremely close to his younger sisters Lois, Joelle and Shirel. Marc is currently single and unmarried.
Marc Guehi nationality and ethnicity
March has English nationality with his roots in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He belongs to the Akan, Voltaic, or Northern Mande Abidjan ethnicity.
Career
Despite his strong interest to attend a football school, Marc’s parents were very reluctant against it. They instead wanted him to focus on his religion and his education and wished to see him achieve the Masters and Doctoral level. However, after much persuasion, they eventually agreed, and Marc enrolled at Bromley-based Cray Wanderers. The youngster had a Chelsea scout as his first ever coach, and he helped him have trials with the club.
Marc eventually joined the Chelsea Academy alongside his best friends – Rhian Brewster and Conor Gallagher. The trio were among the top stars at the academy and even won the treble at the youth level. Following the victory, the club signed Guehi with his first professional contract in September 2017.
With Frank Lampard arriving at the helm and Antonio Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta benched, the youngsters at the club got more chances. Guehi along with other youngsters like Fikayo Tomori, Reece James, and Nathan Ake all got first-team minutes. However, with fierce competition between Chelsea’s senior defenders, Marc Guehi failed to get proper game time.
As a result, he moved on to Swansea on loan, where he joined Gallagher and Brewster. While at the club, he established himself as a regular starter in just half a season. The young defender helped Swansea secure a fourth-place EFL finish and a whopping 17 clean sheets. The following season, Guehi signed for Crystal Palace in the Premier League on a five-year deal. He became the club’s most expensive signing and has since become a key player.
Playing style
Marc Guehi is a very physical player, and his key assets are his strength and his man-marking ability. The young defender often draws comparisons to Antonio Rudiger, who is renowned for his strong mentality and dogfighting ability.
Contract and salary
During his time at Swansea, Marc Guehi earned a salary of around €24K. He now earns around 50,000 pounds per week with his current contract at Crystal Palace. Marc signed on a five-year contract with the club in 2021, with the contract running till 2026.
Religion
Marc Guehi is a devout follower of Christianity and goes to church with his family whenever he can. Guehi’s faith remains a big part of his family as well as his personal life.
Marc Guehi has an Instagram account with the handle @marcguehi, where he has over 125K followers and about 16 posts.
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