Why did Ben White leave the World Cup early? This has been trending once again as the Arsenal No.4 prepares to receive some bad news.
The £50m man surprisingly returned to the United Kingdom midway through the World Cup campaign in Qatar, with England simply stating that he left due to “personal reasons” while also asking for people to respect his privacy.
So, why did White leave the World Cup early? And how does Gareth Southgate feel about the situation now? Let’s take a look…
Why did Ben White leave the World Cup early?
Well – according to the Daily Star – White left England’s World Cup training camp in Al Wakrah following an argument with Steve Holland.
It is said that the 25-year-old clash with Southgate’s No.2 was in relation to White not being aware of some personal statistics, while the Daily Star added that he struggled to mix with his fellow teammates.
While that has not been confirmed by White or Southgate, those rumours have now been somewhat reinforced as the £93,000-a-week man is set to miss out on a call-up to the latest England squad.
The Mirror believe the Poole-born defender will not be called up for the EURO 2020 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine at the end of this month, due to the fact he left England’s World Cup campaign early.
If that does turn out to be the case – Southgate names his squad at 2pm GMT – then it would suggest there really was a clash between White and Holland in Qatar.
It certainly couldn’t be put down to footballing reasons, as the Arsenal star has been one of the best defenders in the Premier League so far this season.
White has started 25 of Arsenal’s 27 Premier League games so far this term as the Gunners sit five points clear at the summit of England’s top-flight, scoring one goal while also providing two assists.
Be sure to keep an eye out for Southgate’s squad announcement at 2pm – there could be even more shocks in store.
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