Ben White, a defender for Arsenal, has joined up with his colleagues in Dubai after departing early from the England World Cup camp.
After failing to play a single minute for the Three Lions in Qatar, the 25-year-old resigned after an alleged altercation with assistant coach Steve Holland. The official explanation was that White withdrew for personal reasons.
There were rumors that White had trouble fitting in with England’s team and wasn’t familiar with all of his statistics, something England has prided itself on knowing under Southgate.
White has been photographed in Dubai alongside other Arsenal colleagues Matt Turner and Thomas Partey, competing in the World Cup for the United States and Ghana, respectively. Rather than flying directly back to the UK, White has been seen there.
The trio is taking advantage of the mild weather to practice ahead of Boxing Day when the surprise leaders host David Moyes’ struggling West Ham at the Emirates Stadium for the day’s final match.
White has been in outstanding form for Arsenal this year, shining in a new right-back position, while William Saliba has made his presence felt in the heart of the defense. Despite being considered the fourth option for the position after Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, his performances were sufficient to persuade Southgate to send him to the World Cup when Reece James was forced to withdraw due to injury.
White, a £50 million acquisition from Brighton, was initially brought in by Mikel Arteta to serve as the lynchpin of Arsenal’s defense. Still, his flexibility has supplanted Takehiro Tomiyasu despite the latter’s return to health.
The Japanese star has been moved to the left flank to contend with Kieran Tierney for a starting position after his nation’s heartbreaking World Cup round of 16 losses to Croatia.
