England manager Gareth Southgate has revealed that Ben White asked not to be selected for the Three Lions squad that was announced on Thursday. Arsenal defender White has not played international football since leaving the England camp midway through the 2022 Qatar World Cup. The 26-year-old was therefore considered likely to be named in the squad to face Brazil and Belgium later this month. However, Southgate explained in a press conference immediately following his squad announcement that White had made himself unavailable for selection. "We had a call from [Arsenal sporting director] Edu last week [and he] said Ben didn’t want to be considered for England squads at this time.

Source: Express March 14, 2024 20:30 UTC