Premier League veteran Joel Ward has heaped praise on Crystal Palace teammate Marc Guehi, stating that it’s a pleasure to play alongside the ex-Chelsea man.
Crystal Palace signed the young defender at the start of the season for a reported fee of €23.34 million. There were reservations about the 21-year-old's ability to perform in the top division, as he had not played in the Premier League before.
It took the defender only a couple of weeks to prove his mettle and he has since been ever-present in the team. In 33 appearances for Crystal Palace this season, Guehi has already scored four goals.
Impressed with his performances, England boss Gareth Southgate has called the youngster up to the national team, marking his first senior international call-up.
Speaking on BBC's Monday Night Club, Ward highlighted the key aspects that have made Guehi a quality player. He said:
“He’s a joy to play alongside for sure. He is quite a reserved character but he leads by example. The way in which his composure on the ball, his vision, his range of passing. It’s great to see and I think he’s got an extremely bright future.”
The young center-back rose through Chelsea’s youth system to make a first-team debut in the 2019-20 campaign. He came off the bench in a 7-1 win over Grimsby Town in the third round of the EFL Cup.
Guehi's second and final appearance for the Chelsea senior team came in the 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup fourth round. The center-back unfortunately did not manage to play a Premier League game for the Blues.
Premier League giants Chelsea extend winning run to six games
Despite facing a plethora of off-field issues, the Blues have somehow managed to safeguard their football. Confident as ever, Thomas Tuchel’s side have managed to bag another win, this time against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup quarter-final on 19 March.
A goal each from Romelu Lukaku and Hakim Ziyech gave the west London outfit a commanding lead in the first half. Middlesbrough came at them in the second half and did everything in their power to get back into the game, but returned empty-handed.
The 2-0 win away at Middlesbrough secured Chelsea’s passage into the last-four, extending their winning run to six matches across all competitions. Chelsea will face Guehi’s Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semi-final on April 16.