Marc Guéhi recently joined four fortunate Premier League Kicks participants at the Crystal Palace Academy as part of the Premier League’s More Than A Game initiative. This campaign aims to highlight the connection between Premier League Kicks and real-life football stars.
Conducted by the Palace for Life Foundation, the Premier League Kicks program utilizes football and various other sports to foster safer, healthier, and more respectful communities by nurturing the potential of young individuals. The activities provided through Premier League Kicks encompass girls’ and boys’ football, multi-sport programs, dance, boxing, basketball, and youth hub activities. The Foundation also offers a variety of after-school courses.
Tylei, Ceren, Josh, and Jayden, four talented players from south London, regularly participate in the program’s weekly sessions. As part of the Premier League’s More Than A Game campaign, they were joined and mentored by Palace defender Marc Guéhi for a football ‘masterclass’ session.
During the session, the group engaged in a series of knockout football challenges, including the classic ‘Wembley’ singles, where each player attempted to score while preventing others from doing so. They also participated in a ‘Crossfield ping,’ benefiting from Marc’s expertise in precise long passing, and a ‘top-corner whip,’ inspired by Michael Olise’s remarkable goal against Luton in November.
“It was really good; they were showing off some of their skills and abilities, and I was just there to assist and watch,” Guéhi explained.
“It’s really good [to get involved in the Foundation] because it’s giving back in a way, lending a hand, and if I can do that in any way, in any shape or form, for me, that’s great.
“You could see by the way they were smiling when they were playing football and the camaraderie between them… just by their reaction, you know they enjoyed it.
“I grew up Lewisham. The club is a massive family club, and so is south London in general. It’s full of so many communities and has a family feelgood factor, people looking after each other.
“It’s brilliant to do these types of things – it makes you think of the game when you first started growing up at grassroots level.
“The Foundation do some great things in the community, constantly inspiring the next generation of communities to go out and do great things, whether that’s in football or not.
“Palace are giving people a platform, giving them a foundation to go out and be their best selves, which is amazing.”
A strong battle saw Tylei victorious in round one and round two, with Ceren winning round three, leaving her the only remaining candidate and overall winner.
“I joined around two years ago and it’s made a major change to my life,” Ceren explained. “It doesn’t only help with talent, but as a person you grow.
“You meet new people, your communication skills improve and they give you the best opportunities, like being able to go down to Palace’s games or the training ground. It’s like a little family we have now. It’s the most beautiful thing.”
MORE THAN A GAME
This weekend’s fixtures mark the celebration of the Premier League’s More Than a Game campaign, highlighting the extensive investment in all levels of football that allows individuals associated with every club to make a positive impact on their local communities.
Throughout the Premier League, including here at Crystal Palace, clubs will designate a ‘Community Captain,’ selecting someone deeply involved in these Premier League-funded initiatives who deserves recognition for their dedication and contributions to both the sport and society.
The success of the Premier League translates into unprecedented financial support distributed across football leagues in England and Wales, spanning grassroots to professional football, and encompassing both men’s and women’s games.
In this particular instance, the More Than a Game campaign, with Guéhi’s participation, highlighted the vibrancy of Kick’s community programs and the talented individuals within them.
