Arsenal star Ben White has had his character called into question after recent comments from England manager Gareth Southgate.
Southgate revealed that the defender had refused an England call-up despite his strong form, and the manager was surprised by his decision. However, it has since emerged that White’s initial exit from the England squad during the World Cup came after a fallout with staff member Steve Holland.
Holland accused White of not holding enough interest in football in front of his teammates, which led to his exit from the squad, and the 26-year-old seemingly has no intention to rejoin such an environment.
White is now facing unfair criticism, but those at Arsenal are well aware of what a strong professional he is, which does not align at all with the character assassination he has suffered as a result of poor man-management from those within the England setup.
Arsenal teammates all value Ben White highly
Ben White is regarded as a model professional within the Arsenal squad. He rarely ever misses a game, even though he has been carrying an injury for the last few months, and has even stepped up to start whilst carrying significant problems.
Speaking on the Handbrake Off Podcast, journalist James McNicholas revealed that the Arsenal squad believe White is one of the toughest players in the dressing room.
“He has been incredibly durable. The truth is, he’s been injured for much of this season, he’s been carrying a knee problem and he’s been playing anyway,” he stated.
“He is known within the dressing room to be one of the toughest guys out there. I think there was an away game at Newcastle in the run-in a couple of seasons ago, during his first season at the club, where he played with a pretty significant hamstring tear.
“His teammates marvelled at it. He was basically on one leg, but Arsenal were short of defenders, and he was prepared to go out there and play.”
Ben White’s character is not a problem for Arsenal
White has worked under several managers who hold their players to high standards in Mikel Arteta, Marcelo Bielsa and Graham Potter, and there were no complaints from any of them over his conduct.
The defender has been praised for his ability to learn quickly, and this perhaps indicates that with proper coaching, his behaviour and adaptability are exemplary.
This therefore reflects badly on Southgate and Holland’s methods. A player as receptive to coaching as White was not comfortable with their management styles, and they have not been able to get the best out of a top-class player, who has been superb on and off the pitch for his club.