One former England hero has urged Thomas Tuchel to resist any temptation to hand Arsenal defender Ben White a shot at redemption with the Three Lions. White, 27, hasn’t been included in Tuchel’s first squad for the upcoming games with Albania and Latvia, despite speculation over a potential recall following the departure of Gareth Southgate.
White had won four caps under Southgate when he was named in his squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but he left the tournament for personal reasons without making a single appearance. Amid rumours of a bust-up with England coach Steve Holland, the full-back who can also play centre-back remained in international exile until March last year when Southgate revealed the player had previously informed him he didn’t want to be considered for selection. Despite the admission, Southgate refuted suggestions that there were personal issues between himself and White.
Now, Chris Waddle has insisted that White should be made to wait before being considered for selection. The former Tottenham and Marseille winger won 62 caps for his country, with his tears from their 1990 World Cup semi-final with West Germany still resonating with England fans.
The 64-year-old famously fired over the bar in the penalty shootout to confine his team to defeat. Just minutes earlier, he came within inches of being cemented in folklore as his effort in extra time cannoned back off the post.
He’s now insisted he would never have behaved like White, who he’s gone as far to say should be banned, telling 10bet: “I wouldn’t bring Ben White back in. He said he didn’t want to be picked again. He spat the dummy out, didn’t he? But now he’s all right to play and wants to pick and choose his England career?
“Listen, you would never say you never want to play for England. I would never have said that. I would have played if I was 50. Modern-day players who say that I’m not being picked, so don’t pick me again all of a sudden become available.”
It’s not clear the exact point when White informed Southgate of his non-availability, but Waddle now wants him barred from being selected for as long as he refused to play at international level, adding: “For the time he didn’t play, he didn’t want to play, I would say, well, we’ll give you the same ban.
“So, if it two years, then I’d consider you in two years’ time. For me, you should never say no. I you don’t get on with the manager and you don’t like the style of play, you wouldn’t be picked anyway. But when you get a late call up, you don’t say no.”
