Ben White: Fans booing me shows they may not know the full story

Ben White has issued a blunt challenge to England fans who booed his return to international football, suggesting they would be silent if they knew the full story behind his departure from the 2022 World Cup. According to The Guardian ^[1], the Arsenal defender was jeered at Wembley during the 1-1 draw with Uruguay in March, the first time he had represented his country in nearly four years.

The 29-year-old left the national camp in Qatar citing personal reasons, a move that effectively ended his international career under Gareth Southgate. White told the BBC that he has no complaints about the negative reception. “Everyone can do whatever they want,” White said, as reported by the BBC ^[1]. “It’s fine with me. Whatever they want to do, and I think just think about maybe not knowing the full story. And if they did, maybe they wouldn’t.”

While White refuses to throw anyone under the bus, he acknowledged that communication was poor at the time. He confirmed to talkSPORT that his exit was linked to a reported fallout with assistant manager Steve Holland, though he declined to elaborate further. “I’ve probably seen all of it and I think people don’t know the full story because I’ve never said anything,” White stated ^[2].

His comeback against Uruguay was a rollercoaster of emotions. White scored the opening goal only to concede a late penalty for the equaliser. “I came on and obviously get booed. Then I score. Then I give away a pen. It was obviously full of emotions that night, and it was a good night,” he recalled ^[1].

Now under new manager Thomas Tuchel, White has been welcomed back with open arms. He revealed that Tuchel’s personal effort to reach out made the difference in his return. “The boss didn’t need to say too much. The effort he made to speak to me and reach out was so nice,” White said ^[1].

White admitted he shed tears when a knee injury ruled him out of contention for last summer’s World Cup, dashing Tuchel’s hopes of including him. Despite the setbacks, he is focused on earning his place at Euro 2028. “It’s definitely something I want to do and be involved in,” he said ^[1]. Regarding his past decisions, White remains resolute: “I made the decision that I would probably continue to make. One that I’m not happy about but it happened. It’s time to move on.”