Arsenal Debate: Why should Ben White play for England if he doesn’t want to?

The Ben White and England situation by Dan

Given that it’s become tradition for me every international break to question why Ben White was not called up by England, it’s only right I give my opinion on our defender asking Edu to inform the FA he doesn’t want to be considered for selection.

Some Gooners point of view is dictated purely by how the situation impacts Arsenal yet as a football fan in general, it’s sad that a 26-year-old feels like he doesn’t want to represent his nation. Especially given that his country has a realistic chance of winning the Euros. Shouldn’t occasions like Germany be something that a sports person dreams of when they are a youngster? Even as a fringe player, would you not want that winners medal?

With injuries at full back, Gareth Southgate thought it would be an insult to our intelligence to suggest that it was football reasons why our right back wasn’t in his latest squad.

The manager then confirmed he’s spoken to the player since the World Cup and wasn’t clear why White was reserved in playing for him again.

Just to clarify, that’s the Three Lions boss admitting he was lying the previous times he stressed that the Gunners omission was based on others being ahead of him.

Since when it is okay for the head coach of England’s most popular sport to mislead the fanbase?

Now knowing he hasn’t been honest how can we believe Mr Southgate when he claims Steve Holland is not the reason for the drama and that he doesn’t know what the issue is?

Isn’t it your job to know?

Are you not being paid millions of pounds a year to get the best out of the talent pool available to you?

If someone is too unhappy to play for you, have you not failed in your job?

You only have to work with the group every few months so surely part of your job specification is to create harmony?

I don’t have the right to know what is happening in someone’s personal life, such as what made Ben White leave Qatar early at the WC.

As someone who pays his money to attend Wembley though, I think supporters can question why an atmosphere has been created that means someone at the peak of his powers would rather sit at home then play Brazil on Saturday?

As an England supporter, I want to know if our dressing room has strong enough clique’s that a player in form no longer wants to participate. That’s another story that materialised from the World Cup. That realising he wasn’t playing; White didn’t feel it was beneficial to spend weeks away from his family in an environment that made him unhappy.

It’s worth stressing that the private issues that meant he had to leave Qatar didn’t prevent him days later joining his club in Dubai. He wasn’t shy on social media at that time pointing out how content he was to be back where he was wanted.

It would be sad if we had a player who lacks the ambition and hunger to not want to be part of a European Championships. He was openly emotional when he earnt his first cap, describing it as a dream and being surreal. So, this notion he’s simply not patriotic doesn’t add up.

This is where I will back Mikel Arteta.

I haven’t always agreed with his man management, but we know the Spaniard won’t tolerate anyone with a bad attitude. From day one he’s preached about non-negotiable principles that he won’t compromise on. In other words, White’s employers wouldn’t be giving him a pay rise if something was wrong with his personality.

In a short statement after White left Qatar, our boss stressed he was of his players reasoning and that Arsenal backed him.

White is eccentric. Somewhat of an enigma in his outlook on football. He and his family are not fans of the game. He doesn’t love the profession, it’s just something he happens to be talented at.

It’s simply his job, a career, a route to making himself rich. While some will find that hard to fathom, it doesn’t make him wrong. Nor does it mean he’s any less committed in training.

A Rashford, Grealish, etc might talk about football when they have finished work, yet they have been less professional then White in their careers.

Those in the media who have worked with White have maintained for days that his approach, while easy to misunderstand as not being passionate, is actually the way he is wired. His thought process gets the very best out of him and maximises his ability.

In his own words, he needs to switch off after work to be able to maximise his end product.

A lot of readers can relate to wanting to switch off when you’re at home and not be thinking about your job.

That might not be conventional in a million-pound industry, filled with glamour but it doesn’t make White wrong.

If that’s his outlook, it then becomes understandable that he wouldn’t want to work where he’s unhappy if he doesn’t have too.

Arsenal are his employers who pay his wages ,no matter if he’s playing at Wembley or if he rests for the next 2 weeks. He legally has zero obligation to play for England.

If you had a choice between being paid to sit at home or be around people who make you unhappy what would you do?

Dan