Ben White was called up by manager Thomas Tuchel for England’s recent matches against Uruguay and Japan, but was booed by fans at Wembley following a frosty reception.
Ben White booed during England v Uruguay (Image: Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta has not heard England supporters heckle Ben White recently, but insists the defender has returned to Arsenal with a positive mindset. The full-back has been selected by manager Thomas Tuchel to be part of the 35-man Three Lions squad that will play friendlies against Uruguay and Japan at the end of March.
The move marks the end of nearly four years on international duty for White, who was ruled out of action for his country during the 2022 World Cup following reported disagreements with Gareth Southgate’s assistant Steve Holland.
However, the 28-year-old’s reunion with his homeland did not go as expected. Although England scored a goal against Uruguay, they were ultimately held to a 1-1 stalemate by the South American team at Wembley, while Tuchel’s side suffered a humiliating 1-0 defeat to Japan in their final match before this summer’s World Cup.
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White was also jeered by some of the England faithful in the capital when he took to the pitch against Uruguay and his name was announced over the stadium’s PA system, apparently in response to his long absence from international football.
Southgate also revealed that he had requested that White be left out of the European Championship squad in 2024, despite the manager pointing out that he would have been selected on merit based on his performance at Arsenal. White, who returned to Arsenal after his latest match, seemed unfazed by the hostile reception he received at Wembley.
Asked about the heckler at his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup clash with Southampton, Arteta said: “I couldn’t hear it because the volume was turned down.
“You could see he had a big smile on his face, coming back from the national team and he was talking good things about the guys, the group, the meetings, Thomas and the guys.
“So, I’m glad to hear that. When you send a player to the national team, you really want to bring back a better player, a happier player, a player who is ready and fit. And that was certainly the case with Ben.”
The announcement comes as White looks set to play a key role in this weekend’s FA Cup quarter-final clash with Arsenal at St Mary’s, when both teams play at 8pm. Arteta confirmed that Piero Hincapie will be absent due to a bruise sustained during Ecuador’s recent friendly against Morocco, while Noni Madueke and Ebelesi Eze also remain on the treatment table with injuries of their own.
Mikel Arteta talks about Ben White’s situation upon his return to the England squad (Image: Arsenal FC, Getty Images)
But on a brighter note, Spain’s manager revealed that Julian Timber and Martin Odegaard have both returned to his squad for the trip to the south coast. “I think players have to play when they are healthy and able to play and I’m very proud to have so many players in the national team,” Arteta said of the international break, which has been complicated by new injuries.
“The players are keen to play for the national team and we know how important their time together is, how important the time they spend preparing is to them. We fully support that and will do so when we can.”
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