Gareth Southgate insists he was left with no option but to go public with Ben White’s decision to snub an England recall and fears the Arsenal defender will be met with a ‘backlash’ as a consequence.
As a consequence of his outstanding form for the the Premier League leaders, the Three Lions boss had hoped to reward White with a place in his squad ahead of the upcoming friendlies against Spain and Brazil.
White, who hasn’t featured for his country since his premature exit from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, spurned the opportunity to represent his country and will now enjoy a two-week break before the domestic resumption.
Southgate confirmed Arsenal were aware of his intention to go publish with White’s decision but insists he remains in the dark as the full reason behind the 26-year-old’s rationale.
‘In these situations I’ve tried to protect players,’ Southgate said. ‘Clearly that is impossible at this point [with White].
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