Marc Guehi has expressed his support for England head coach Gareth Southgate as the team prepares for their last-16 tie with Slovakia. The Three Lions finished their Group C campaign with a goalless draw against Slovenia, securing first place in the group with five points ahead of Denmark. However, the boos from the traveling England supporters at the final whistle were largely directed towards Southgate.
Guehi, who has been a standout performer for England in Germany, forming a solid partnership with John Stones, praised the manager’s record and the confidence he has shown in the players. “He has been fantastic for England. If you look at his record, it speaks for itself,” said the 23-year-old defender. “Everyone is behind the manager and we have a really close tight-knit group just focused on the next game. Everyone appreciates him, especially me. He gave me my debut for England and he’s showed so much confidence in me. I am really grateful and I’m sure the rest of the team is as well.”
England will face Slovakia in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday for a place in the EURO2024 quarter-finals. The team’s path in the knockout stages was made easier by a surprise Georgia win against Portugal, which meant they avoided facing the Netherlands. However, Guehi believes that there are no easy games at this stage of the competition. “Everyone has seen in this competition that I don’t think there is a favorable side of the draw,” he said. “Every opponent is tough to play against. We just need to remain calm and focused, taking it one game at a time.”
With Spain, Germany, Portugal, France, and Belgium in the other half of the draw, there is added expectation for England to end their 58-year wait for a first international honor. Despite the pressure, Guehi emphasized the calm and focused environment within the team. “We just need to continue focusing on one thing at a time,” he concluded.
