- The 27-year-old has been a mainstay for the Gunners but has been in exile in England.
- He reportedly fell out with Steve Holland in 2022, but now wants a shocking comeback.
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Ben White is reportedly set for a dramatic return to England after a two-year self-imposed exile following a dispute with senior coaching staff.
The Arsenal defender has gone from strength to strength at right-back in Mikel Arteta’s impressive side, but the Three Lions are increasingly missing his versatility after he ruled himself out of the 2022 squad.
The 27-year-old last played for his national team in March of that year, coming off the bench in an international friendly against the Ivory Coast for his fourth cap, and was called up for the winter World Cup in Qatar.
But White left the camp midway through the tournament, citing personal reasons, and it is widely believed that his departure was the result of a row with Gareth Southgate’s assistant coach Steve Holland.
The Gunners star has not played for England since, having declined to be considered for the Euro 2024 squad this summer, but is in line to be available once again under new boss Thomas Tuchel. talkSPORT information.
Ben White is reportedly set to make a shock return for England after a two-year absence.
The defender last donned the Three Lions jersey in a friendly against the Ivory Coast in March 2022.
It would then be up to new boss Thomas Tuchel to accept him back into the England set-up.
Presenter Adrian Durham said on his show on Wednesday: “I have heard from a very good source that Arsenal’s Ben White will be available for selection in March.
“It will be then when England plays for the first time with Thomas Tuchel.
“I’m fascinated to see if Tuchel thinks: ‘Yes, I’ll bring him back straight away, he’s one of the four best players, he plays regularly for Arsenal, so he’ll come straight back.’
“Or if you say to yourself ‘this is someone who didn’t care about England, so no, I’m not going to let him come back.’
The England camp has been thrown into chaos during this international break with nine players withdrawing from the team ahead of two vital matches against Greece and Ireland. They will face the first in Athens on Thursday night.
Eight members of Lee Carsley’s original team withdrew on Monday, and on Wednesday night it was confirmed that Jarrad Branthwaite will also not travel.
The Everton defender has been training outside the main team this week and will now return to his club after failing to overcome a problem that has troubled him in the opening weeks of the campaign.
He has been replaced in the squad by Liverpool’s Jarell Quansah.
White is believed to have fallen out with Gareth Southgate’s assistant Steve Holland (right) at Qatar 22.
Lee Carsley has lost nine players in vital games against Greece and Ireland.
Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite has been forced to withdraw from the squad due to injury
Captain Harry Kane criticized his teammates for leaving the Three Lions team
England captain Harry Kane criticized his team-mates for quitting the squad, suggesting they “took advantage of a difficult period of the season”, before insisting that playing for the Three Lions should “come before anything else”.
Asked what he wanted the players to remember from Gareth Southgate’s reign, Kane told ITV: “I think the joy of playing for England. I think he brought that back.
“I think England is ahead of anything. It comes before the club and is the most important thing you play as a professional footballer. Gareth was excited about it and he wasn’t and he wasn’t afraid to make decisions if that started to move away from certain players.
“It’s a shame this week, obviously. I think it’s a difficult time of the season and maybe it’s been taken advantage of a little bit. I don’t really like it if I’m totally honest. I think, as I just said, England are ahead of anything.” , of any club situation”.
White’s return is unlikely to be immediate with the Gunners defender facing a spell on the sidelines after undergoing a knee procedure.
The Englishman has started every game he has been fully fit for this season and his form as a right-back for Arteta’s team could be enough to convince Tuchel to bring him back into the fold.
