Still refusing to defend the England national team during the international break in March 2024, Gareth Southgate continues to emphasize that he will never close the door on Ben White being able to compete at Euro 2024.
“As I always say, the door is open. I respect this situation, because Arsenal have contacted us. So in the end, I know the conversation I had with him last March,” said Southgate, quoted by the Daily Mail.
“I felt I had to keep my distance from him. But, I always leave the door open. I really want to bring him to this team,” he concluded.
🚨🏴 Southgate: “It’s really for Ben White now… the door is open for us”.
“I respected the situation as Arsenal have contacted us. I felt I should back away from it a little bit. But I’ve always left the door open. I was keen to bring him in this camp”. pic.twitter.com/HgoREvcamg
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 27, 2024
The performance displayed by Ben White with Arsenal in the 2023/24 season certainly impressed Southgate and he actually included his name in his plans for the Euro 2024 squad.
Unfortunately, White, who is claimed to be at odds with Steve Holland as assistant coach in England, has made the situation complicated until now. He reportedly insisted on his decision never to take part in the Three Lions squad if Holland was still on the staff.
