Manager Thomas Tuchel said he needed to “clear the air” with his England team-mates as he defended Ben White’s call-up of the Arsenal defender after his self-imposed exile.
White did not play in any group stage matches and has withdrawn from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar due to personal reasons. He declined Gareth Southgate’s call-up for the March 2024 international break after disagreements with then-assistant manager Steve Holland.
However, he has made it clear to Tuchel that he is open to selection again and was called up to the camp as a replacement for the injured Jarrell Quansah. England will play Uruguay in a friendly at Wembley on Friday night before hosting Japan on Tuesday.
Tuchel said that White now needs to talk to his World Cup squad and teammates who attended this training camp.
“First of all, I think everyone is entitled to a second chance,” Tuchel said. “Secondly, I don’t know exactly what happened, and I wasn’t 100 percent interested because I wanted to open a new page, a new book, a new opportunity.
“Once I asked Ben if he was ready to play for me and for England, he immediately came back without hesitation and said he was keen to come back.
“(When I got the call from him after Quansah’s injury) there was a reaction within seconds. It was very uplifting, very positive, very emotional. I knew he really meant it.”
“The way he conducted himself and the way he trained here in camp was exceptional, very, very good. It shows his quality.
“I think he needs to clear the air with his team-mates and I think he will do that with the returning players who were at the World Cup with him.”
“Then we’ll start from there. Let’s see how it goes and see if he’s as comfortable and confident as we thought he was. So far he has been.”
“I’m supporting him. Hopefully he can get some support from the crowd and we’ll take it from there.”
Why was White chosen over Alexander-Arnold?
Trent Alexander-Arnold ignored by manager Thomas Tuchel
Tuchel was also asked why he continues to overlook Trent Alexander-Arnold, with White preferred over the Real Madrid defender to replace Quansah.
His answer ended with a blunt instruction to Alexander-Arnold: “He just has to accept it.”
“It’s just a choice. It’s a sporting choice. It may be a difficult choice and to some extent it may be unfair,” Tuchel said.
“I chose White because I had seen him play in the previous Champions League (Carabao Cup) final and he was back to his old self. It was a chance to meet him in person.”
“We know what Trent can give us, so it was a choice for Ben and Tino Libramento to stick with the players who had a good camp with us in September, November and December, as well as Jed Spence.”
“We know there will be noise when you let a player like Trent leave. I got a call and tried to explain the situation. He has no choice but to accept.”
Follow England vs Uruguay on Sky Sports’ digital platforms on Friday. Kickoff 7:45pm
