Arsenal defender Ben White, on November 30, was reported to have departed from England’s World Cup camp following a disagreement with assistant coach Steve Holland.
Ben White’s premature exit from the England camp
White had not played for Gareth Southgate’s team before his departure, and he was also unavailable for the Wales match due to illness. He subsequently left the squad, with the Football Association stating that personal reasons were the cause.
A statement issued read: “Ben White has departed from England’s training base in Al Wakrah and has returned home for personal reasons.”
“The Arsenal defender is not expected to return to the squad for the remainder of the tournament. We ask that the player’s privacy is respected at this moment in time.”
However, the Daily Star reported that Ben White’s early departure was triggered by a fallout with a crucial member of the coaching staff. Additionally, White reportedly faced challenges in fully integrating into the squad off the pitch, leading to feelings of unhappiness during his time in Qatar.
Since then, White has not featured for England despite being fit during international breaks.
Southgates disappointed in White’s call-up decline
In recent news, it was reported that White declined Southgate’s call-up to the national team ahead of their friendly with Brazil.
According to The Sun, Southgate confirmed this in his statement.
“On form, I can’t say he doesn’t deserve to be here.
“John McDermott had a call from Edu last week saying Ben didn’t want to be considered for England at this time.
“That’s a shame. He’s a player I really like. I spoke to him post Qatar and there was clearly reticence from his side. I don’t know fully why that is.”, he said.
In a recent report, the backstory of what happened in camp that prompted White’s premature exit from the camp has been unveiled.
Sam Wallace revealed in an exclusive interview on The Telegraph that Ben White decided to leave the England camp on November 30th after Steve Holland told him that “he was not interested enough” in football after asking him about Arsenal’s season.
🚨 EXCLUSIVE by @SamWallaceTel:
Ben White decided to leave the England camp on November 30th after Steve Holland told him that “he was not interested enough” in football after asking him about Arsenal’s season. https://t.co/nyp3WhP1tG
— Eduardo Hagn (@EduardoHagn) March 20, 2024
Meanwhile, in recent news, Sports Buddy reported that England manager Gareth Southgate issued a cautionary message to Rashford, stressing the need for him to “battle” and demonstrate hard work to earn his spot in the squad for the Euro 2024 tournament.
