Ben White sparked controversy during the last international break by refusing to return to England duty.
Since departing from the World Cup camp in Qatar, the defender has abstained from representing his country and has made himself unavailable for selection.
This decision comes as a significant setback for the Three Lions, considering White’s exceptional form at club level, where he has been a regular starter for Premier League leaders Arsenal.
With ambitions to triumph in Euro 2024, England had hoped to harness White’s talents, recognising his potential to play a pivotal role in their campaign. However, his current unavailability poses a challenge to their aspirations.
In his pre-match press conference ahead of Arsenal’s crucial fixture against Manchester City this weekend, manager Mikel Arteta was questioned about White’s decision.
He said, as quoted by the Daily Mail:
‘I think he has received a lot of love. You just have to see what his teammates and everyone close to him in football says.
‘I think people have respected.
‘Hopefully he can represent his country in the best way possible one day. That’s up to him.’
Just Arsenal Opinion
White’s decision comes as a surprise to us as players normally jump at the chance to play for a big country like England.
However, he has his reasons, and as long as he does well for us, he will keep playing regularly at the Emirates.
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Ben White is a victim of poor man management
A smart answer by the gaffer as a pot cannot call the kettle black.