Arsenal star Ben White’s absence in Gareth Southgate’s latest England squad has been a hotly debated topic
Ben White of Arsenal arrives(Image credit: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal star Ben White’s decision to snub Gareth Southgate’s England squad is ‘a bit of a disgrace’, according to one Premier League star.
Defender White has not featured for England since he left the Three Lions’ World Cup campaign early in 2022, when he returned home from Qatar mid-tournament, citing ‘personal reasons’.
Southgate chose to address the matter after revealing his squad for the upcoming friendlies against Belgium and Brazil.
Ben White in action for England (Image credit: PA)
“I spoke to him post-Qatar, because I wanted to pick him,” said the England boss. “There was clearly reticence from his side, I don't know fully why that is.
“But I have to respect that, I want to leave the door open for him, because he's a good player and he can make a difference for England - but he's not available to us, so the only other thing I would say is there is no issue between us, at all.”
White’s self-enforced absence from the England set-up has been key talking point over the past week, with Jamie O’Hara, formerly of Arsenal and Tottenham, refusing to hold back.
“Very few people get the opportunity to represent their country,” the former Spurs man said on this week’s episode of The Counter Attack, via Grosvenor Sport .
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“For Ben White to turn that down because he doesn’t want to sit on the bench or because he doesn’t like watching football? I’m sorry, but I think you’re a bit of a disgrace to be honest.”
Jamie O'Hara in action for Tottenham (Image credit: Getty Images)
“Do you know how many people will give their right arm to just sit on the bench for England and have the opportunity to represent their nation? Then you’ve got this guy who goes, ‘oh, I don’t really like football’ and ‘Gareth Southgate hasn’t really given me a chance’. Do me a favour – it’s your country for crying out loud!
“There are obviously other things that have gone on behind the scenes – maybe he’s fallen out with some of the players. We all know he went to the World Cup and went home halfway through, so there’s probably something between him and the manager.
“However, even if I’d fallen out with the manager, I’d still go because it’s my country. I didn’t even make the England first team but there was nothing more honourable than playing up until the England U21s and singing the national anthem at Wembley. Representing your country is the biggest honour a footballer can have, and if it isn’t, then you’ve got a problem.”
White has four England caps to date, the last of them coming almost two years ago in a friendly against the Ivory Coast.
For more than a decade Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor, with stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others. He is the author of four football history books that include tomes on Leeds United and the England national team.
