Ben White ready for England return after unusual path

Pre-match curries, half-time fights and Brentford frights have prepared Ben White for another tilt at international football.

The Arsenal defender has worked his way back into Gareth Southgate’s ranks having not been involved since he was part of the squad that reached the final of Euro 2020.

White did not play a minute of football during the tournament after replacing the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold, winning his only caps to date in two warm-up games.

A poor start following a £50million summer move from Brighton to Arsenal saw White slip out of the England picture.

A turnaround in form has the Gunners in pole position for a top-four finish and White back in international picture as the World Cup hovers into view.

Making it to Qatar would be a huge achievement for a player who had just spent a year on loan at League Two Newport – which included taking Tottenham to an FA Cup replay – before watching England reach the 2018 World Cup semi-finals.

“I don’t think I ever thought about playing for England then,” he said of his time at Rodney Parade. “I was just thinking I need to be good enough to play in League Two.

“It was one of the best years of my life. I’d gone from an academy where everything is nice and you have everything you want. And then you go there and everything is completely different. You’re having a curry for your pre-match meal!

“In my first game there was a punch-up at half-time, between our own players in our own dressing room. It was a bit scary to be fair. I didn’t want to make any mistakes, that’s for sure.”

White’s career could have been derailed completely when he was released by Southampton at 16.

“I didn’t know if I wanted to carry on. It was obviously tough not being wanted,” he said.

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