England manager Gareth Southgate says he has “no issue” with Ben White after the Arsenal defender made himself unavailable for selection for this month’s upcoming friendlies.
Southgate said Arsenal sporting director Edu told him that White did not want to be considered.
The 26-year-old has not been selected for England since the 2022 World Cup.
“I spoke to him post-Qatar and there was reticence from his side. I don’t know why that is,” said Southgate.
White left England’s World Cup squad in Qatar for personal reasons, with reports saying he was unhappy and had fallen out with assistant coach Steve Holland.
“There is no issue between us at all and there’s also no issue with Steve, which has been mentioned in articles and I don’t like that,” said Southgate.
“I have to accept things are false about me, but I’m not prepared for that to happen to my coaching team. That is not the reason Ben is not with us.”
White has been in fine form for Arsenal this season, making 39 appearances across all competitions, and he signed a new four-year contract with the Gunners on Thursday.
The former Brighton player featured in every Premier League game last season as Arsenal were beaten to the title by Treble-winners Manchester City but has further impressed in his role at right-back this campaign.
While he will not feature in March’s Euro 2024 warm-up friendlies against Brazil and Belgium, Southgate said the “door was wide open” for him to return.
He added: “[White] would be in this squad but he’s not available to us and I have to focus on who can help us.
“Clearly on form. I can’t sit here and say he doesn’t deserve to be in.
“It is a great shame. He is a player we took to the Euros, a player we took to the World Cup and I spoke to him post-Qatar because I wanted to pick him.
“People have given me a lot of stick for not picking players in the past who haven’t made themselves available. But I’ve always been able to keep them out of that story.
“On this occasion, because of the circumstances around the number of injuries and his decision to come off the long list I’ve got to be more transparent.”
Asked whether White is suggesting he will not play for England while Southgate is the manager, the Three Lions boss said: “I don’t know the answer to that. I hope that’s not the reason.”
‘One of the guys who cares the most’
It has previously been suggested that White does not enjoy football but he says that is a common misconception and it is simply that he is able to switch off from it at home.
“I know people say I don’t like football,” White told The Telegraph earlier this month. “I go home and football is not on my mind. I can just be a normal person, relax. [But] when I am in here, it is intense.”
Club captain Martin Odegaard said on White: “When you look at him from the outside, you might think he’s someone who doesn’t care too much. But he’s one of the guys who cares the most about his team, his team-mates. He’s a warrior, a proper team player and funny.”
Analysis
Alex Howell, BBC Sport football news reporter
White’s place in the England squad has been debated since he left the training camp at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
When Southgate was asked about White not being included in the squad in November of last year he said he “assumed” that White was available for selection but he “was behind a couple of others”.
However, three months on from that squad announcement the messaging around White has changed from the England manager.
His ability to play right-back and centre-back would be more crucial than ever as Southgate can only name 23 players in his final squad for the Euros in Germany in the summer.
The situation is clearly complicated with the player maybe having feelings towards a lack of game time with England. He has made four England appearances, all in friendlies, and did not feature in the opening three games of Qatar before his exit.
White is a fierce competitor but the view around the player not caring about football or loving the game is not correct.
It is true that being a footballer is not his complete identity and he does like to do things not connected to football when he is not at training.
What is clear is that White is playing the best football of his career and with Reece James injured along with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kieran Trippier, the depth at full-back is not what it once was for Southgate.
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