Arsenal defender Ben White made his first appearance for the Three Lions since controversially leaving camp during the 2022 World Cup and had a mixed night against Uruguay at Wembley.
Manager Thomas Tuchel speaks after the draw between England and Uruguay (Image: ITV Football)
England manager Thomas Tuchel has slammed fans who booed Ben White on his long-awaited return to England. The Arsenal man was given a 20-minute cameo in Friday night’s game against Uruguay at Wembley.
It was his first appearance for his country since he was sent off during the 2022 World Cup. White made a roller-coaster comeback, receiving boos on the pitch after coming on as a substitute.
Then, after scoring the opening goal, Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde gave away a penalty in the second half. Tuchel told ITV about his return: “Incredible!
“When he scored the winning goal, which wasn’t the winning goal at the time, he may have been a little too tough and greedy defensively then, but I still don’t think it was a penalty.
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“It would have been nice to keep a clean sheet and get another win, but my opinion of the game remains the same.”
White did not receive a warm welcome from supporters in Wembley. His name was met with boos when he was brought on as a substitute.
When the stadium announcer announced him as the goal scorer, the fans booed his name. Tuchel then took aim at those responsible.
Asked if he hoped White’s performance would flip the script, Tuchel said: “I hope so. I think something like this has happened before with some of the players here and I don’t think it helps anyone so it’s a shame.”
Ben White thought he had scored the winning goal in England’s match against Uruguay (Image: Getty Images)
“I think it was a mixed response. Some people cheered, some booed. I wasn’t aware of it, but now people have told me. I was in the tunnel, so I didn’t hear it, but I’m hopeful that things will settle down.”
England teammate Harry Maguire praised White and his performance. He said: “It was crazy to score the first goal. I thought it was great when he came on.”
“I can’t say anything about his defense in that game (penalty). If it were me, I would have tried to block the shot. He’s been good in training all week, he’s had great energy in camp, and he was rewarded with the goal tonight. He was great when he came out.”
England return to Wembley on Tuesday night for another friendly when they host Japan. They will then turn their attention to preparing for the World Cup.
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