The then-Chelsea defender was bordering on signing for Crystal Palace in 2021, and was told the club's new manager Vieira wanted to talk.
“Someone sent me his number and said: ‘This is Patrick Vieira’s number. He’ll call you soon,’” he remembers.
Marc Guéhi had Patrick Vieira’s phone number in front of him, and he was panicking.
The then-Chelsea defender was bordering on signing for Crystal Palace in 2021, and was told the club's new manager Vieira wanted to talk.
“Someone sent me his number and said: ‘This is Patrick Vieira’s number. He’ll call you soon,’” he remembers.
“I’m just there almost panicking; I don’t know when he’s going to call. He ended up calling, we had a really good conversation – he even spoke to my parents, which was really nice of him – and from there I could just sense the belief he had in me and what he wanted to achieve here at Palace.
“I was a little bit star-struck when he called me. It’s so strange having Patrick Vieira call.”
Vieira’s influence may be a persuasive force on prospective signings, but for Guéhi the decision to join Palace didn’t require much debate.
“[The phone call] wasn’t too long. I already had in my head what I wanted to do but having the conversation with him was pretty much an icing on the cake.
“I could see what was going on with the club – they’d moved a few players on from a successful period maintaining their place in the Premier League and obviously [had] the manager coming in. So I could see where the club was going and felt like I could fit in that.”
A south Londoner, Guéhi began his footballing life with Bromley-based Cray Wanderers after moving from the Ivory Coast as a child.
He says of his early years: “My childhood was very good. Two loving parents and my sisters came along. For them it was tough coming from the Ivory Coast and settling into a new country but for me I had everything I needed. There was always food on the table, always had clothes on my back.”
Before long, like many parents Guéhi’s mum and dad wanted to occupy their son, and football provided the perfect outlet for a six-year-old’s energy. Having joined Cray Wanderers the youngster was soon moved on by his coach, a Chelsea scout, and he stayed with the Blues for almost 14 years.
But after playing consistently over 18 months on loan to Swansea City, the centre-back felt he needed a permanent change.
“I came back on loan from Swansea and could see Chelsea were almost rebuilding the squad and trying to get a few players in, but for me it was really important to get some game time," he says.
“It was important not to stop that progress, to allow me to keep going, keep playing and experience first-team football. So for me that decision was difficult, obviously, because I’d been at Chelsea for a very long time, but I think it was the right one.
“There were potential loan moves to different clubs but for my career I wanted to be somewhere permanent. I feel like I experienced the loan with Swansea being there for 18 months and I wanted to be somewhere permanent to keep progressing and see where I could go.
“My family have always played a massive part... Many other professionals, like Wayne Routledge who was at Swansea, played a big part as well. A lot of people I’m close with helped me make the right decision.”
Having arrived at Palace five days after his 21st birthday Guéhi had a host of milestones awaiting him: a Premier League debut, first Premier League goal, the captaincy, and that same season a first England cap.
Helping him along the way were a driven mindset, supportive club, and, in his words, “the best fans in the league.”
He explains: “Coming to a club like Palace with so many experienced players here, so many who’ve done it in the Premier League for such a long time, I just wanted to come and learn. The squad helped me settle really quickly – quickly and to adapt to Premier League life. So I’m extremely grateful to the team and the staff.
“It’s really a family here, a family unit. You sense that from day one. A lot of very genuine people here, from the kit men right up to the people that work in the kitchen, all the staff around the building.
“Everyone is so nice and make you feel really welcome. That’s what they did with me. I felt like straight from day one having that off the pitch really helps your performances.
“[Playing in front of Palace fans] is the best. I don’t know what more I could say – the fans are the best in the league. Away and home.
“There are times in games where things might not be going your way but they don’t get on your back – they’re there to uplift you, always cheering you up, always making you feel like you can give that extra percentage in the game. This place is amazing, an amazing place to be.”