7 hours ago
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Marc Guehi declared "it's been great" whilst with England as he delivered the ideal response to his collapsed Liverpool transfer move.
The Crystal Palace captain had been widely tipped to join the Premier League champions on deadline day, only for the Eagles to withdraw from negotiations at the final moment. It now appears Liverpool will not return with a January bid for the defender.
However, he's had little opportunity to reflect on that setback after receiving a call-up to Thomas Tuchel's England squad for the latest round of World Cup qualifiers. Following his recovery from an injury concern, Guehi returned to the starting eleven as the Three Lions produced their finest display under the Tuchel regime.
Guehi netted the fourth goal in a comprehensive 5-0 victory over Serbia in Belgrade, effectively securing England's passage to next summer's World Cup.
The fixture against Serbia had been anticipated as the most challenging encounter of the qualifying campaign, yet they excelled with a magnificent five-star showing.
The 25-year-old found the net for his maiden international strike in the second period and emphasized there was no residual disappointment from the transfer window following a successful week with the national team.
When questioned by ITV about the previous eight days, Guehi responded: "It's been great! It's always easy coming here, such a good group of players, good group of staff. We are all working towards one goal.
"I'm just over the moon [to score his first goal] it's a fantastic feeling. You work really hard growing up, so to score a goal for your country is the best feeling."
England manager Tuchel was specifically quizzed about Guehi following another commanding performance at the heart of the defence alongside Ezri Konsa. "It's the example of how the boys were at this camp," he remarked.
"They put their personal interests to one side and he was the best team-mate possible and had a fantastic performance. He was very strong for Crystal Palace and demonstrated that today on the pitch."
From an England perspective, it was hard not to grin as they sent a clear message to those who have been critici`ing some uninspiring performances in recent months.
The Three Lions entered the match with Serbia boasting a 100 per cent record in qualifying, albeit without the performances to back it up.
However, that narrative shifted in Serbia, with Harry Kane and Noni Madueke netting before half time, followed by goals from Konsa, Guehi and a Marcus Rashford penalty securing them a resounding victory.
"We scored five and made it look comfortable. We can be proud of ourselves. It has been a great camp and we are in a great position," England captain Kane told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"They found it difficult to play. Whenever they did break, we recovered quickly. Serbia are a good team, and we made them look average tonight."
Guehi will now return to Palace to face Sunderland this weekend, before a match with Liverpool before the month's end.
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