MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Arsenal defender Ben White has returned to the England squad for the first time since Arsenal. start walking He joined the team midway through the last World Cup.
White was called up by national team manager Thomas Tuchel on Monday to replace the injured Jarrell Quansah for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan. he has been before I can no longer go to England After withdrawing from the Qatar World Cup, he did not publicly state the reason.
Former coach Gareth Southgate had made no secret of his desire to include the 28-year-old in White for the 2024 European Championships, but was unable to persuade him to return.
Mr Southgate said at the time: “For me, that’s a huge shame.” “He will be in this team, but we don’t have him so we have to focus on who can help us.”
According to the English Football Association, White has withdrawn from the 2022 World Cup early due to “personal reasons”.
His resignation was sudden and came just before England’s first knockout match. At the time, the FA did not provide further details, asking that “the player’s privacy be respected”.
Southgate later dismissed reports that there had been problems between White and then-England assistant Steve Holland, leaving his long-term absence from the national team a mystery.
Tuchel, who replaced Southgate last year, said he would be in touch with the Arsenal player, who remains one of the Premier League’s top defenders.
His call-up raises the possibility that he will be included in England’s squad for this year’s World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
White has previously spoken out about his unusual attitude towards football, revealing that he rarely watches matches.
“I just loved this game. I played it all the time and never watched it,” he told Sky Sports in 2021.
If he appears in either match against Uruguay or Japan, it will be his first appearance since winning his fourth cap against Ivory Coast in March 2022.
Tuchel also called up Newcastle’s Harvey Barnes to replace Arsenal striker Ebelesi Eze.
___
James Robson is https://x.com/James Saran Robson
___
AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
