Thomas Tuchel: Ben White needs to ‘resolve issues’ with England colleagues; urges supporters to back the defender.
Thomas Tuchel has indicated that Ben White needs to “clear the air” with his England colleagues and has encouraged supporters to back the Arsenal defender following his return to the squad after more than three years.
White departed the 2022 World Cup in Qatar prematurely due to what the FA described at the time as “personal reasons,” but sources informed ESPN that this was due to a disagreement with the coaching staff of former manager Gareth Southgate.
Southgate later refuted any claims of a rift but subsequently disclosed that White had communicated his desire to no longer be considered for international selection.
Tuchel had positive discussions with White last year and chose to bring back the 28-year-old after Jarell Quansah withdrew from the initial 35-man squad due to injury. England is set to face Uruguay on Friday and Japan next Tuesday, with White eager to participate, especially in the first match as Tuchel opted to provide an extended rest to 11 players, including captain Harry Kane.
Eleven players in the current squad were part of Southgate’s team in Qatar, and Tuchel, who assumed his role in January 2025, elaborated on why he believed White deserved to be included.
“First of all, I think everyone deserves a second chance,” Tuchel stated on Thursday.
“Secondly, I am not fully aware of what transpired. I was also not entirely focused on that because I wanted to turn a new page, a new chapter, a new opportunity.
“When I asked Ben if he would be willing to play for me and for England, he immediately responded without hesitation that he would love to do so and was eager to return. He was keen to come back.
“When the opportunity arose for him due to Jarell Quansah’s injury, his reaction was instantaneous. It was positive, and he was very emotional about it. That demonstrated to me that he genuinely means it.
“His conduct and the way he trained during the camp were exceptional. Very, very good. He showcases his quality. I believe it is essential for him to clear the air with his teammates. I think he will, especially when the players who were with him in the World Cup return.
“From there, we will see how it goes. Let’s see if he feels as confident and comfortable as he anticipated. So far, that has been the case. He has my support, and I hope he receives support from the fans as well, and we will take it from there.”
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Quansah’s injury provided Tuchel with a second chance to call up Trent Alexander-Arnold, having previously excluded him from his original squad but opting not to include the Real Madrid defender.
“It was simply a decision. A sporting decision, a difficult choice, a hard choice. Perhaps to some extent unfair, but such decisions must be made. The choice was for Ben White because I observed him play in the cup final against Manchester City. He played a Champions League match prior [against Bayer Leverkusen] and quickly returned to his former self,” Tuchel remarked.
“It was an opportunity for me to meet him in person and assess how he interacts with the group. I believe I understand what Trent can offer us, so the decision was to call up Ben and Tino Livramento — to stick with the players who had strong camps in September, October, and November. They also require the minutes. There are numerous players in this [right-back] position — Djed Spence also — who are competing for a [plane] ticket [to the World Cup], so I did not want to exclude them.
“I recognize it generates discussion when a player like Trent is left out. We had a conversation, and I attempted to clarify the situation. He simply has to accept it.”
England will commence their World Cup campaign on June 17 against Croatia, joined in Group L by Ghana and Panama.
