The iceman cometh! How star defender looked on in hope before revealing his raw talent

THE first coach of England centre back Marc Guehi today described how he plucked the player from the sidelines at a south-east London primary school to help him develop into the Three Lions' “iceman".

- John Dunne

Steve Owen, 65, was a teacher at Marvels Lane primary in Lewisham when he saw Guehi, then five, peering longingly through a fence at older boys playing, desperate to join.

Mr Owen, a coach at non-league side Cray Wanderers who also scouts for Chelsea, said: "He would be looking through the fence and he was not supposed to be allowed to play with the older boys as he was in the younger years. But I let him through because he looked so desperate to play and he was immediately brilliant. He could hold his own and more."