Speaking on the Official Leeds United Podcast, Patrick Bamford has claimed that Ben White would be in the England squad if he’d stayed at Leeds.
The Brighton centre-back of course spent last season on loan at Elland Road, and it’s fair to say that he was brilliant for Leeds.
He won the club’s Young Player of the Year award, and the Whites were desperate to keep hold of him, bidding as much as £25m for the defender.
Unfortunately for White, he hasn’t shone as expected in the Premier League, and Bamford believes that if he’d stayed at Leeds, he’d be playing for England by now.
“I’m looking forward to it, and the fact that Ben is back there as well makes it a bit more interesting.
“Yeah, I’ve Whatsapp’d him a little bit. He’s enjoying it back there, I think it’s because that’s where he’s from and stuff he’s back with his family and friends and that, but I was thinking though, if he stayed at Leeds he’d probably be in the England squad, he’d be in the England squad.”
This is certainly an interesting take.
Leeds’ defence this season has been rather leaky, but White seemed to be a great fit for Marcelo Bielsa’s system.
We’ve seen plenty of defenders from mid-table sides called up for Gareth Southgate’s squad, so the idea of the 23-year-old getting in there isn’t too far-fetched.
Sadly, we may never know if Bamford is right about White as it seems as though he’ll be a Brighton player for the foreseeable future.
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