The England international joined City in January and quickly established himself as a regular at centre-back. His performances have earned him a place alongside Rúben Dias, Erling Haaland and Gianluigi Donnarumma in the group tasked with helping guide the squad.
Guéhi previously captained Crystal Palace, but insists leadership has never been something he consciously pursued. Instead, he believes the most effective approach is to set standards through his own behaviour.
“The first thing is leading by example,” he said in an interview with UEFA. “If you’re asking your team-mates to do something, you should be able to do that thing. So that is one of the biggest ones. Leadership comes in all different ways, different manners, so it’s something that can be very diverse.”
For Guéhi, authenticity is equally important. He believes players quickly recognise when someone is trying to project an image rather than behaving naturally.
“People can see right through you, they can tell when someone isn’t necessarily being themselves and I think the best thing in that role is that you are yourself and that you show the qualities that not only have got you to that position but if you are going through a period where you want to improve on that little aspect of leadership as well then people notice that. Authenticity is the most important thing,” he explained.
The defender said his appointment to the leadership group was recognition of the standards he had already set, but also an opportunity to learn and improve.
“I’ve never thought of myself in that way. I think it’s always been other people have noticed and picked up on in me,” Guéhi said.
“I’ve always just gone about my business and the way I’ve done things. I’ve always tried to do things the way I like to do them and how I see fit. If that resonates with people or other people pick up on it then even better.”
He added: “I think the most important thing is to carry on doing what I have been doing because I’ve been nominated as one of the leaders of the group which means I’ve done something right. It’s something I want to grow into more and learn more about which I think is important. But I’d just say I’ve been myself the whole time.”
Guéhi also praised his relationship with Maresca, describing the City head coach as approachable and open with his players. He believes the manager’s personality and winning mentality are reflected in the group’s daily work.
“I think we’ve got a very open relationship in terms of the fact I can go and talk to him whenever and whatever it may be about,” he said.
“And he’s very open with me and all the players. You can already tell his ideas but also his personality, how much of a winner he is and how much every single day means to him. I think that reflects in the group and how we train and how we approach every single game.”
The Champions League represents a new stage in Guéhi’s career. He admitted he never expected to reach the competition when he was younger, making his opportunity with City particularly meaningful.
“I’ve never really dreamt of playing in the Champions League because I didn’t think I’d get this far to be honest. But I’m very, very grateful and I just want my gratitude to grow even more by playing even more games and hopefully achieve something great with this football club.”
Manchester City’s ambition, he said, suits him perfectly: “The club’s ambition is to win everything all the time. So that’s fine by me.”