As a respected leader and captain for Palace, playfully referred to as "Uncle Marc" by his England team-mates because of his maturity and temperament, he fits into the culture Liverpool have fostered over this recent period of success.

After last weekend's Community Shield clash between the Premier League champions and FA Cup winners at Wembley, Palace chairman Steve Parish said the speculation surrounding Guhei's future needed "a new contract or a conclusion of some kind".