It is not beyond the realms of reality that an Englishman could play a starring role in a Premier League and Champions League-winning team this season, and then spend the summer ignoring the European Championship.
England manager Gareth Southgate insists the door remains open to Ben White, but the 26-year-old is now nearly two years on from his last cap and told England that he did not wish to be considered for the last squad before Euro 2024.
For some, playing at a major tournament for their country is a childhood dream. For White, it seems like a bit of a nightmare.
“Everybody’s wired differently,” Southgate said diplomatically, although it is clear that he and White could hardly be different people.
“For me, England was the pinnacle.
“Did I enjoy every moment with England? No. Were there moments where you thought ‘here we go, into the lions’ den’? Yes.
“But I always wanted to challenge myself and test myself. And the things I regret in my life are the things that I’ve not had a go at, not the things that I’ve failed at. For me, it was always the ultimate.
“But, I wasn’t at a club going for the league title, or in the last couple of rounds of the Champions League… I can’t speculate what’s behind it.”
Southgate’s clarification was an unusual disclosure.
He added: “In these situations I’ve tried to protect players. Clearly that is impossible at this point.
“I don’t have huge credibility, but there’ll be none if I didn’t pick him on form! I don’t think it would be right not to state the situation we’re in.”
Southgate and White have spoken since the defender came home from the 2022 World Cup early, although it was Arsenal’s sporting director Edu who informed the FA’s technical director John McDermott of his decision this time around.
It is a blow for Southgate not to have him, too, especially with the reduced squad size this summer and White’s ability to cover right and centre-back.
“The shame is that he’s a player I like,” Southgate said.
“I can see his ability is obvious. I would have liked to have picked him. But it’s not an option that’s open to me. I completely respect it.”
White has been a key player for Arsenal ever since joining from Brighton for £50m in 2021, featuring in 97 of the club’s 104 Premier League games since the start of 2021-22, and starting 93 of them.
Initially used as a centre-back in a back four in his debut campaign, White has subsequently been deployed on the right for the past two seasons to accommodate William Saliba, a switch that has coincided with Arsenal emerging as credible title challengers.
White’s form in an Arsenal shirt has been consistently solid – statistically, he hasn’t made a single defensive error leading to a goal in almost three league seasons with the club – but his performances have been particularly eye-catching in 2024.
For much of the past two campaigns, White has generally looked like a defensive option when used on the right, required to play narrow as an inverted full-back and add an extra layer of protection to the defence or else shuffle into midfield to give Arsenal numerical supremacy in that area. He has tended to hold his position to allow Bukayo Saka to roam from his.
However, recently he has been making more overlapping runs, evolving into a more rounded full-back who can attack as well as defend. White has registered a goal and three assists in his last five Premier League games, numbers you’d more associate with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kieran Trippier.
He set up both of Arsenal’s goals during their last league win against Brentford with two different types of crosses: the first was whipped into a dangerous area and required a glancing touch from Declan Rice to go in and the second was dinked smartly for Kai Havertz to go and attack.
That variety is evidence of his growing influence and confidence in the final third.
White’s assuredness on the pitch indicates a contentedness at Arsenal, something he does not appear to have found when away with England.
A few hours before Southgate’s squad announcement, Arsenal confirmed that White had signed a new contract which will run until the end of the 2027-28 season with the option of an extra year. Unusually, they prefaced the news with a video on social media in which Arsenal’s players were asked to sum him up on and off the pitch.
Multiple colleagues described him as a “warrior”, praised him for being “calm” and “composed” and made a point of highlighting his teamwork and will to win. Perhaps the most instructive comment came from Fabio Vieira, who said: “He’s a bit mysterious”.
Benjamin White, as told by his team-mates
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 14, 2024pic.twitter.com/2O3pcUJu70
There is a perception that White doesn’t care about football as much as other players and is an awkward character. His frank admission that he didn’t enjoy watching the game when he was growing up and still doesn’t now has contributed towards that, as has speculation around the reasons why he departed the World Cup prematurely, which Southgate again denied on Thursday.
That suspicion seems unfounded when hearing his teammates talk about him. Maybe he has just found a sense of serenity and fulfillment at his club that he has yet to with his national team.
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” said White of Arsenal. For the time being at least, that includes the England squad.
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