Ben White says he has no complaints about England fans’ boos

Ben White says he has no complaints about England fans booing him when he returned to the team after making himself unavailable. “Everyone can do whatever they want,” the Arsenal defender said, adding that the reaction was fine with him.

His first England appearance in almost four years came last March, when he entered a friendly against Uruguay at Wembley. He received a frosty reception from the crowd. White departed the 2022 World Cup in Qatar before it ended for personal reasons, and did not make himself available for England again while Gareth Southgate remained in charge.

His return to Thomas Tuchel’s squad comes after he missed last month’s camp because of an injury. White said he thought some supporters might not know the full story. “It’s fine with me. They can do whatever they want; I just think perhaps they don’t know the full story. And if they did, maybe they wouldn’t,” he said.

The Uruguay game brought a series of emotions for the defender: he scored the opening goal before conceding the penalty that produced the late equaliser. White said he had gone into the match hoping not to stand out and to keep things simple. “I came on, got booed, then scored and gave away a penalty. It was obviously a night full of emotions, and it was a good night,” he said.

Asked about leaving the World Cup and his decision to step away from England, White declined to explain the reasons. He said he had seen the comments but would not expose anyone or share the details. He acknowledged that the situation had been “a bit tricky” and “not straightforward”, while also saying it was amazing to be back. Asked whether he would do anything differently with hindsight, he said he would not: he believes he would make the same decision again, even though he is not happy about it, and wants to move on.

The defender, who can play at right-back or in central defence, also said he cried when he realised he was out of contention for a place in the squad. He wants to be involved in England’s big games, although he has not yet really broken into those matches. Tuchel’s approach played a part in his return: White appreciated the manager making the effort to contact him and said he wanted to learn from him. The England manager wants to work with him.

After the Uruguay match, Jordan Henderson said England’s players would always support White. Tuchel, for his part, said the defender deserved “a new chapter” and positive feedback from the crowd. England’s upcoming Nations League games against Croatia and Spain are now on White’s schedule with the squad.