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Ben White breaks his silence for the first time since leaving England’s World Cup camp early due to his falling out with Three Lions assistant boss Steve Holland, but makes no reference to his time in Qatar.
Ben White has broken his silence after leaving England’s World Cup camp in Qatar prematurely.
The defender left the Three Lions squad early for “personal reasons”, and England manager Gareth Southgate has dismissed reports that White’s departure was due to a clash with assistant boss Steve Holland.
White has since returned to his club, Arsenal, and is currently training with Mikel Arteta’s team in Dubai. The Gunners star did not feature in any of England’s group stage games before leaving days before their round of 16 win over Senegal.
Ben White has broken his silence for the first time since leaving England’s World Cup base
White took to social media to simply say ‘we root for baby’ after training with Arsenal in Dubai
And now back with his club as they prepare for the return of the Premier League on Boxing Day, White took to social media to post a short and sweet message to his supporters.
‘We’re back baby’, White posted on Instagramfollowed by a smiling emoji, with the captions accompanying the images of the 25-year-old working out at the gym.
White has yet to speak publicly about why he left the England camp so early or address reports of a break with the Netherlands.
White posted photos of himself working out in the gym ahead of the return of the Premier League.
Southgate, speaking about the alleged raid, which was reported on by the Daily Star, said: “What they showed me was alleged and another word was used.”
“I think by commenting on the story I might be giving it some form of credibility, really. We explain why Ben left camp and I think it’s important for him to respect himself, really.
According to the newspaper, Holland was not impressed by White’s lack of preparation in a pre-Team USA meeting, with the former Leeds and Brighton man reportedly unaware of his own personal statistics.
Reports claimed White’s World Cup exit was due to a feud with Steve Holland (right)
White was also reported to have shown poor knowledge of England’s opponents, whom they drew 0–0 in their second group match.
White was also said to have felt uncomfortable at the England base and had trouble relating to his teammates.
It was reported that the decision to release him was made by mutual agreement.
“We ask that the player’s privacy be respected at this time,” the FA statement said.
White is looking to slot back squarely into Arteta’s starting XI after not playing for England
Arsenal posted a Tweet in support of White when his departure from the England camp was announced.
His club then tweeted: “We’re all with you Ben.” Since then, several Arsenal players have posted messages of support for the 25-year-old on social media.
England may have lost to France on Saturday, but Arsenal are back in action on Boxing Day, where they take on West Ham in the Emirates.
White is likely to feature in the game, but Arteta may be without star defender William Saliba amid France’s progression in Qatar.