Arsenal star Ben White has been a standout performer for the Gunners this season, but he has faced criticism after rejecting an England call-up.
White made a surprise departure from the England squad during the Qatar World Cup in 2022, and has not returned since.
England manager Gareth Southgate recently claimed that White had rejected an England call-up after his fine form in the last two seasons, and it then emerged that he fell out with England staff member Steve Holland.
This opened White up to harsh criticism from fans and media, but whilst his form on the pitch has not been affected, this has still been a far-from-ideal situation for him, and his agent has now issued a statement.
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Agent defends Arsenal star Ben White after England criticism
Posting on his LinkedIn account, White’s agent, Alexander Levack defended the defender from the criticism he has received for his decision to reject an England call-up.
“For the past 4 weeks Ben has been in the press and media a great deal in that time with a large percentage of that being negative.
“Whilst I appreciate that Ben is in the public eye which brings it’s own connotations and leaves you open to criticism I wanted to make the point that every elite performer, whichever field that may be, is a human being who has the same feeling we all have and experience good and bad.
“No one knows what is actually going on in one’s life so I really believe people should think before making a judgement or criticising these elite performers in public.
“Ben has shown unbelievable robustness and strength throughout this adverse period off the pitch and has blocked out all the noise and has performed incredibly well on the pitch, in a situation where many others could have and would have wilted.
“Ben has an incredible temperament and attitude which allows him the ability to navigate through his working and personal life.
“I suppose the main message is be kind to people as you do not have the full facts, which in Ben’s case neither Ben nor I wish to vocalise publicly, and do not know what is going on in people’s personal lives so again please be kind.”
Gareth Southgate has thrown Ben White under the bus
White’s agent has emphasised the fact that White did not want to publicly explain his reasons for the England feud, but Southgate’s comments have subjected him to criticism which he should have been protected from.
This has forced White into a position where he will either have to go public, against his desires, to address the reasons behind the fallout, or simply be subjected to extra criticism and even abuse from fans across the country.
As England manager, Southgate has thrown White under the bus to protect his own image, and the potential for a National Team return in the future now looks slim.
