Ben White's recent refusal to play for England has sparked considerable discussion in the football community. Despite being in excellent form for Arsenal, which led to a new #AFC contract, White has decided against participating in the national team. Factors contributing to his decision include a lack of starts, a dispute with assistant coach Steve Holland, and negative experiences in previous tournaments. Gareth Southgate, the England manager, expressed his disappointment but hopes to avoid a public backlash against White. Southgate also revealed that he was aware of White's "reticence" to join the national team and defended his decision to make this situation public. Intriguingly, White asked Edu to inform the England team of his decision. An incident involving an 'angry exchange' between White and Holland has been highlighted as a significant issue. Despite the controversy at the international level, White continues to receive strong support from Arsenal, where he is valued by the manager, coaches, teammates, and fans.
Key question for Gareth Southgate - Does he think Ben White would play for England if Steve Holland wasn’t in the set up? People appear to be rushing to blame White for everything
England’s loss is Arsenal’s gain. I don’t know what’s gone down with @ben6white at international level, but he’s been brilliant for us this season and is beloved by his manager, coaches, teammates and fans. https://t.co/jXsoauDbn9
Details of Ben White and Steve Holland's 'angry exchange' have emerged after the Arsenal defender rejected an England call-up https://t.co/EES0HqWzuO https://t.co/ssFesninSa
Intriguing that Ben White asked Edu to tell England he didn't want to be called up (according to Gareth Southgate). Presumably White didn't feel able to say so himself. Southgate entirely within his rights to share the information. https://t.co/vG7LILdViu
Why has Ben White turned his back on England? From @DTathletic https://t.co/9zHyGXDhZY
Gareth Southgate reveals he doesn’t know full reason Ben White won’t play for England but warns against ‘backlash’ | @CharlieWyett https://t.co/jLfUqXrugs https://t.co/jLfUqXrugs
Southgate defends decision to go public on White's England absence https://t.co/DEBLJw807Y https://t.co/84fP4SsgZ4
Southgate says he had to pick White on form, but he already sensed a "reticence" https://t.co/VKQs6dQFEY
Gareth Southgate insists he hopes there will be no public backlash against Ben White | @johncrossmirror https://t.co/DNAgp2EADZ https://t.co/9wkNdpnZgA
Ben White’s England refusal shows a shift in loyalties towards club football | Barney Ronay https://t.co/mWe3UPVn91
I’d urge any Arsenal fans looking for some clarity on Ben White & England to read this ⬇️ https://t.co/OKmxebMqPi
Ben White is playing brilliantly for Arsenal and has just been rewarded with a new #AFC contract. So what's put him off an England call-up? A lack of starts, the row with Steve Holland and bad experiences in two tournaments. For @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/rNb3fwCv3a
"It's a really disappointing blow for Southgate" Dean Ashton says it feels "unthinkable to most people" that Ben White would not want to play for England 🏴 https://t.co/Jnb0bMYgv9
😬 Ben White's England misery remains a mystery, but the versatile defender is busy establishing himself as one of the league's best at Arsenal 🔴 ✍️ @JoshJohnOBrien1 https://t.co/jpi6CB1Nyx https://t.co/KZmnICrLRd