Ben White doesn’t want to play for England right now, Gareth Southgate reveals

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The coach has shared that Ben White, a defender for Arsenal, has informed Gareth Southgate that he does not wish to be included in the current roster for the English national team.

On Thursday, Southgate revealed the 25 players who will be participating in the upcoming matches against Brazil and Belgium. Sadly, White was left out of the squad despite the fact that there have been several injuries to his fellow English right-backs, namely Kieran Trippier, Reece James, and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

White hasn't participated in England's games since departing from their World Cup training in Qatar due to unclear reasons. During that time, the media suggested that White may have had a disagreement with Steve Holland, the assistant manager, while training. However, Southgate dismissed this information and recently revealed more details about the situation.

Without a doubt with his current performance, I cannot sit here and deny that he has earned his place in the team," Southgate clarified.

Last week, Edu, the sporting director of Arsenal, gave us a call and informed us that Ben expressed his disinterest in participating in the England squads presently. It's really unfortunate to hear that as we had selected him for the Euros and the World Cup earlier. After the Qatar game, I personally spoke to him, expressing my interest in choosing him for future matches.

Ben White departed from the England squad during their time at the Qatar World Cup.

"He is currently unavailable to us and there are no problems between us whatsoever. I also want to clarify that there has never been any issues with coach Steve Holland, despite what some articles may suggest. I prefer to keep that door open. He would have been a valuable addition to our team, but since he is not available, I have to focus on selecting players who can help us."

The Arsenal team has recently signed a new contract with White, who happens to be a defender. He expressed his amazement at having found a permanent place at the Emirates Stadium. The length of the contract is a total of four years, and there is a possibility of 12 more months for White to stay at the north London club.

White has played an important role in Mikel Arteta's team, who are currently at the top of the Premier League and getting ready for their first Champions League quarter-final appearance in 14 years. He played in all of Arsenal's Premier League matches last season but they lost to treble winners Manchester City. This season, he has been even more impressive as a right-back.

After starting his career at Brighton, White spent a total of three seasons on loan. During this time, he played for Newport, Peterborough, and Leeds, gradually climbing the ranks. He then played one season for Brighton before catching the attention of Arsenal, who were so impressed that they paid £50 million to bring him to their team in the summer of 2021.

Ben White hasn't represented England in a game since 2022.

When asked if he feels like he belongs to Arsenal, White responded saying that he has been on loan for three times and has spent a year in different places. He thinks that this is the first time that he has found a place where he can stay for a while without worrying about moving to a new location during the summer. He feels ecstatic with being at Arsenal and has a desire to stay there for many years.

White has played in four senior matches for England after transferring to Arsenal. However, he hasn't been considered for selection by Southgate since he left the 2022 World Cup early. Nevertheless, at the club level, he's one of the many significant players who have pledged their support to Arteta's initiative.

He's following the same path as Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, who extended their contracts last year. At the same time, Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli, Reiss Nelson, and William Saliba have also agreed to new contracts within the last year and a half.

White expressed enthusiasm about the club's commitment to signing talented players for new deals. He feels privileged to be involved with such an ambitious organization. The club's future is bright when considering the age of these players. White sees firsthand the importance of doing everything right in order to achieve the desired results and the significance of the club in his daily life.

In a statement to the official website of the football club, Arteta expressed his elation that Ben has signed a new contract. Ben is a vital member of the team, displaying a high level of professionalism, competitiveness and leadership qualities each day. In addition to his impressive skills and positive attitude, Ben is known for his admirable personality and humanity off the field.

We are excited to work with Ben for many more years to come.

This article includes further investigation conducted by PA.