Marc Guehi's England performance will be no surprise to Swansea City supporters: View | OneFootball

England's Euro 2024 campaign began with an unspectacular, but winning start on Sunday night as Gareth Southgate's men defeated Serbia 1-0 courtesy of a Jude Bellingham header in the 13th minute.

The Three Lions were not at their creative best, and had just three shots on target, but the former Birmingham City man's goal turned out to be enough to secure the three points.

Heading into the tournament, one of England's main concerns was the absence of central defender Harry Maguire, who has been a stalwart for his national side during Southgate's tenure.

But on Sunday night, Marc Guehi showed that he may have the quality to replace the Manchester United man, and was one of the bright sparks in an otherwise fairly dull Three Lions performance.

Guehi England performance will come as no surprise to Swansea City fans

The Crystal Palace defender put in a strong performance for his national team on Sunday night, as he was defensively solid while he also completed 51 of the 53 passes he attempted, according to FotMob.

His standout display may have come as a surprise to some Three Lions fans, but members of the Swans faithful who tuned in to watch their club's former man in action have long since known the quality of the 23-year-old.

Guehi spent the second half of the 2019/20 season with the South Wales outfit, as well as the entirety of the 2020/21 campaign, and he shone in the Championship in loan spells from former club Chelsea.

The central defender made 12 appearances for the Swans in 2019/20, helping the club land a play-off spot in dramatic fashion on the last day of the season.

The Welsh side, then managed by Steve Cooper, went on to lose in the play-off semi-final second leg with a 3-1 defeat to Brentford in the second leg.

Despite only being at the club for seven months, Guehi had become a trusted man in Cooper's system and played in both legs of his club's 2020 play-off campaign.

The Swans defeated the Bees 1-0 in the first leg, and the central defender was instrumental in maintaining his side's cleansheet, as he won 100% of the ground duels he faced while also winning 83% of aerial duels that night back in July 2020, as per FotMob.

Despite their play-off heartache, Cooper's men were not disheartened and would land a top-six spot once more in 2021 at the conclusion of a season in which Guehi showed his class.

The current Crystal Palace man was a near ever present for the Swans during the 2020/21 campaign as he made 40 appearances, and was one of the finest defenders in the second tier.

Throughout the season, Guehi was a rock at the back for Cooper's side, who won 66.7% of duels and 69.7% of tackles, while he was also instrumental to the Swans' style of play as he made 1,458 successful passes.

The defender went on to join current club Palace on a permanent basis in the summer of 2021 and he has not looked back since, as he has become a solid Premier League player and England international.

But sadly, his Swansea tenure did not get the fairytale ending it arguably deserved, as the Swans yet again suffered play-off heartbreak at the hands of Brentford in 2021, who this time defeated their familiar opponents in the final.

Furthermore, the central defender never made a single goal contribution for the Welsh side, and very few supporters were able to see him in the flesh during two seasons which were played largely behind closed doors amid the COVID pandemic.

Guehi's England exploits further show the importance of the EFL

Although the Premier League attracts the bulk of the attention of English football fans, the current Three Lions squad also demonstrates the importance of the Football League.

For example, Real Madrid sensation and England's match winner Bellingham began his career with boyhood club Birmingham City in the Championship, while the national side's record goalscorer Harry Kane endured several loan spells in the Football League with the likes of Leyton Orient and Millwall, which helped shape him into the great player he is today.

Another player who established his class in the EFL is Guehi, who has become yet another strong international player who has plied his trade below the Premier League.

While the top-flight of English football receives an overwhelming spot-light compared to that of the Championship, League One and League Two, Guehi is yet another player who has proven the importance and strength of the nation's football pyramid.