Ben White snubbed the chance to play for England in their friendlies against Brazil and Belgium (Picture: Getty)
Gareth Southgate insists the door ‘remains open’ for Ben White and refused to write off the Arsenal defender’s chances of gatecrashing England’s Euro 2024 squad.
The versatile defender hasn’t featured for his country since he left the World Cup in Qatar prior to the quarter-final against Senegal, with England citing ‘personal reasons’ for his departure.
England’s strength in-depth at right-back had meant that Southgate had left White out of his plans for the entirety of the European Championship qualifying campaign and Nations League fixtures.
Injuries to the likes of Kieran Trippier, Reece James and Trent Alexander-Arnold, allied to White’s outstanding club form, saw Southgate offer an olive branch ahead of the friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.
Amid reports of a bust-up with Three Lions assistant coach Steve Holland, White rejected the chance to play his way into Southgate’s 23-man squad for Germany this summer.
Despite that decision, the England manager insists he will continue to monitor the former Brighton star’s form for his club, where teammate Declan Rice admitted he would try and get the 26-year-old to perform a U-turn, and would welcome him back into the fold with open arms.
‘It’s really for Ben now,’ said Southgate following Tuesday’s 2-2 draw with Belgium.
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‘Dec is obviously in a difficult situation you’re asking him about a team-mate and he’s going to be careful what he says. As I’ve said to you, the door is open for us.
‘That’s clearly difficult ahead of the Euros, where you’ve got players that have played all the way through but we have no idea of knowing who’s going to be available in that area of the pitch.
‘I respected the situation as Arsenal have contacted us. So in the end, I know the conversation I had with him last March.
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‘I felt I should back away from it a little bit. But I’ve always left the door open. I was keen to bring him in this camp.’
Rice, who captained England for the first time on his 50th cap against Belgium on, said of White: ‘Ben is such a good guy and he is an unbelievable footballer.
‘It is hard to know really what is going on but he has made his decision and he doesn’t want to play for England at this moment in time.’
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