Ben White has made himself unavailable for England selection (Pictures: Getty)
Cesc Fabregas says Ben White is in a small minority of players not obsessed by the sport but says his stance should be ‘respected’ after the Arsenal defender made himself unavailable for England selection.
White asked not to be considered for England’s upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Belgium, having left the Three Lions squad midway through the Qatar World Cup.
The 26-year-old has been one of Arsenal’s most consistent performers this season – making 39 appearances in all competitions – and was recently rewarded with a new four-year contract.
White has dismissed claims he does not like football but admits he has less interest outside of playing and training and rarely watches games.
Fabregas believes ‘only five percent’ of players share White’s attitude but insists he came across ‘plenty of guys’ who have a similar outlook during his trophy-laden 20-year career.
‘I think it’s the society we live in at the moment. And I go back again to what I always say it’s all about the money,’ Fabregas said on the Planet Premier League podcast when asked about White’s situation.
‘Footballers get paid a lot of money. And it feels like they should all be focusing on football, no matter what. And they should be an example for everything, and you cannot make mistakes.
White has not featured for England since the Qatar World Cup (Picture: Getty)
‘Every error is being punished, double or triple a normal human-being. It’s the life we are in. One that we have to accept, one that we need to carry on our shoulders. And that’s it.
‘I know plenty of guys, and of course, I will not mention names, that they finish training sessions and they just want to go home because they don’t really love football.
‘They love playing football, they really enjoy it, the competition. They are competitors, they are winners. They like the moment, that hour and a half, two hours of being there.
‘But after that, they don’t watch football. They don’t want anything to do with football.
More Trending
‘It is weird. It is not something that happens very often. Maybe only five percent of the players are like that. But it is what it is, and we have to respect it.’
It has been reported that White fell out with England boss Gareth Southgate’s assistant Steve Holland during the Qatar World Cup in 2022.
Making himself unavailable for the upcoming friendlies at Wembley does allow White to fully recharge ahead of the Premier League run-in as Arsenal chase a first title in 20 years.
The Gunners, who finished five points behind champions Manchester City last season, sit top on goal difference with ten games remaining.
Cesc Fabregas has hailed Gunners boss Mikel Arteta (Picture: Getty)
Arsenal have emerged as genuine title contenders over the past two seasons under Mikel Arteta, who joined the Gunners as a player just a few weeks after Fabregas left the club.
‘Arsenal were immersed into a big mess,’ Fabregas said of the period before Arteta took over as manager.
‘I think there were too many people talking. There was a lot of toxicity, I would say, within the club, around the club. He just came in, he had an idea, he had his methodology, his style of play, and he put it all together.
‘He had the bravery – even though he’s a young coach – to put it all together and to say, ‘right this is the standards, this is what I want to do.
Arsenal are bidding to win their first league title since 2004 (Picture: Getty)
‘I think he keeps repeating the words – if I’m not mistaken, in press conferences – he talks about intentions, character, running, standards.
‘Hard working people, young people that really want to play for the badge, be there for the club, make the club grow, and I think this is what he changed, the mentality.
‘He took away all this toxicity around the club that was hurting the players, the managers, and he’s done really well. I think this is the biggest accomplishment he’s done.’
Arsenal face their biggest game of the season straight after the international break as they visit defending champions and title rivals Manchester City on March 30.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Arsenal news, exclusives and analysis
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.