Ben White pictured playing for Arsenal against Bayern Munich. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Darren Bent has accused Gareth Southgate of ‘lying’ regarding Ben White’s withdrawal from England duties.
White made his Three Lions debut in 2021 but has just four senior caps to his name to date.
That’s because the Arsenal defender has been out of the picture for the Three Lions since declaring himself unavailable for selection after flying home from England‘s World Cup camp at Qatar 2022.
It’s thought White — who is currently sidelined for three months after undergoing knee surgery — had a falling out with assistant manager Steve Holland, while Southgate said the defender was asked to be left out of future England squads.
White hasn’t featured for England since but with Thomas Tuchel set to take over as Gareth Southgate’s permanent replacement — following an interim spell under Lee Carsley — there are rumours that he could perform a U-turn.
Southgate accused of ‘lying’ about Arsenal star Ben White
Gareth Southgate pictured during the Euro 2024 final between Spain and England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Former England striker Bent believes White’s willingness to return to the international picture is enough to suggest he wasn’t the problem at all and that former manager Southgate may have been dishonest with his statements on the situation.
“If Ben White has made himself eligible for an international call up that tells me he never had an issue with playing for England,” Bent told talkSPORT.
“I’m pretty sure he always wanted to play for England but had a problem with Gareth Southgate and Steve Holland.
“Some fans might not see it and they’ll say ‘just get on with it, you’re playing for England’ but you have to be comfortable within a working environment.
“If Ben White felt every time he went there he was being targeted, kind of mocked in front of the rest of his teammates and he felt uncomfortable…
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