The 21-year-old has been handed the armband for the Young Lions’ qualifying campaign for the 2023 European Championship.
“It’s a privilege to be captain,” Guehi said. “It is a proud moment for me and my family. I was a bit shocked at first – there’s a lot of leaders and fantastic players in the group.
“It honestly could have been so many people. [The manager] sees maybe something from a different perspective or from the sidelines, but I am confident and I try to help people on or off the pitch.
“Those are some of the qualities I feel I have.”
Guehi has impressed since arriving at Palace this summer, quickly forming an effective partnership with Denmark international Joachim Andersen.
“It wasn’t an easy decision for me to leave Chelsea,” he said. “I was at the club for so long – since I was seven years old. I am extremely grateful for everyone who has helped me get so far and it’s because of them that I’m here.
“I felt like it was the right decision for me to move to Palace. I wanted to play regular football at a high level in the Premier League and test myself to see how far I can go. I think I will really improve myself.
“My mentality is to get the most out of myself.”
New Under-21s manager Lee Carsley has been impressed with the Palace defender.
“Marc will lead the squad for the whole campaign,” he said. “I’ve known him for two or three years and straight away I was impressed by how mature he is, the way he talks about the game, the way he influences players off the pitch.
“With international football we get a lot of downtime off the pitch, with very little time training.
“The example he sets off the pitch as well as on it made it an easy choice.”