Marc Gehi says he is ready to climb the mountain with Thomas Tuchel to win the World Cup.
After taking over as England manager, Tuchel gave a powerful speech that incited the mob, in which he compared “putting a second star on your shirt” to conquering Mount Everest. The Three Lions already have a star above their badge to symbolize their 1966 World Cup victory, and Guehi said the whole squad really understood Tuchel’s methods.
Guehi has been blessed to have worked under Josep Guardiola for the past six months at Manchester City and says Tuchel is one of the managers who has the X-factor to take the team over the line.
City defender Guehi said: “They’re very similar as managers. You can see it in their messages, what they want from the team, their meetings, their body language, their excitement when they’re talking about certain aspects of the game. They live it, they’re passionate about it. They’re very similar.”
“Everyone took inspiration and energy from that speech from England, because it’s great to have someone who has done it there and comes in confident that we can do it too. He’s right next to us. When you have someone who really inspires you, you want to do your best.”
Guehi said working under Guardiola was an experience and a learning curve in itself, with City eventually winning the FA Cup and Carabao Cup before Guardiola announced his departure.
His big regret is that they couldn’t be together for longer, but he says he learned a lot from their short time together.
Guehi said: “I’ve definitely been challenged, which I’m really happy about. It’s always nice to be challenged, because it’s another hurdle that you can overcome and be a little bit better on the other side. As players, we have to find out!”
“I still have a lot to learn, but it’s been great to come to Man City and learn not just from the manager, but from the players around me, the environment and the ambitious mentality that everyone has. I’m really grateful for that.”
“I wish I had a few more years with him. With him, I think as a player you never stop learning, you never stop growing. He keeps you on your toes every day. But I’m sure whoever comes in is going to be a great player and I’m going to learn from them as well.”
“He’s relentless. He tells you to live your profession and live it to the fullest. When you’re told that and you come with that passion, there’s no way you can’t do the same, it’s impossible. He’s amazing.”
England’s Mark Guehi training in Florida on Tuesday (Image: 2026 Getty Images)
Guehi said the atmosphere at the camp is good, and he is currently reading R. Kent Hughes’ book “The Discipline of a Godly Man” and watching Man on Fire on Netflix.
He was a deep thinker, very balanced and had great faith in his religion, but he also had great respect for team-mates such as John Stones, who had been an influence for club and country.
That’s why Guehi says he completely understands why Stones is in the squad, despite his lack of playing time for City this season.
Guehi added: “There’s no question about his commitment to the team and to England. It resonates with confidence, commitment, what it takes to want to do good things for the team, and he puts the team first and makes sure he’s fit, not just for himself, but for everyone else as well.”
“It says, ‘Guys, I’m going to be here. It doesn’t matter if I’m playing or not. As long as I’ve shown you guys what I’ve done to get here, it’s for you.'”
“We’re talking about players who have played 26 or more games for England in major competitions, players like that.
“At this stage of his career, you can just rely on experience, you can rely on what you’ve done so far. He knows his body really well. Like I said, he’s a really top professional. He’s probably one of the best centre-backs we’ve ever had, to be honest.”
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