Chris Waddle has said Ben White should be banned for life from playing for England after the Arsenal defender refused to represent his country. The former Tottenham winger, who was capped 62 times by England, told iGaming.com that White should not be in the squad and that he was surprised Thomas Tuchel brought him back.
White defends his decision
White, 29, has spoken publicly for the first time about his exit from England's 2022 World Cup squad, insisting he will not 'throw anyone under the bus' by revealing the full story. He walked out of the camp in Qatar due to 'personal reasons', reported to be an alleged fallout with assistant manager Steve Holland, and subsequently made himself unavailable for the rest of Sir Gareth Southgate's time in charge.
He returned to Tuchel's squad in March but was jeered by England supporters before being ruled out of this summer's World Cup through injury. White says he stands by his decision of four years ago but is looking forward to his 'story continuing'.
Waddle's criticism
'Listen, Ben White shouldn't be in the England squad, that's my opinion,' Waddle said. 'He refused to represent his country. I'm surprised Thomas brought him back in, and I don't get why he has.'
'There might be a shortage of full-backs, but when somebody turns down playing for their country, like Ben White did, to me that's a lifetime ban. I'd say, 'Forget it mate, on my watch you're not getting back in'.'
Waddle added: 'He's not playing every game at Arsenal, so he's a surprise inclusion to me. I think the England fans will show him what they think of what he did if he plays, because you don't turn your country down and say, 'I'm not interested in international football.'
White's explanation
White told talkSPORT: 'It's something that I've not spoken about, and I won't go into detail about it. Yes, it's a decision that I don't want to be talking about anyone negatively or throwing anyone under the bus.'
He added on BBC Radio 5 Live: 'I don't think I would (change decision). Obviously, I was a bit younger. I'm a bit older now. I think, as a person, I'm quite real, and I think I made the decision that I would probably continue to make.'
White's alleged falling out with Holland is thought to be over an interview where the Arsenal defender admitted to not watching football on television. He said: 'To be fair, I don't. I don't know if I actually said I don't like it because people say I don't like football, which is obviously not true. It's because I don't watch it, which I think is quite normal for someone who does a job and then doesn't go home and then continue watching that job.'
White's return to the fold under Tuchel was eventful as he was booed in a friendly against Uruguay, where he scored and then gave away a penalty. 'I think before the game, I was thinking, just don't…not stand out, but just nice and easy, you know,' he added. 'Then I came on and obviously get booed. Then I score. Then I give away a pen. So it was obviously full of emotions that night, and it was a good night.'
Waddle concluded: 'Once you turn your country down, there should be an asterisk next to your name that means you will never get the opportunity to put on that England shirt again. End of story. It's all right coming out and saying, 'Well, that was that time and this is now,' but he knew what he was doing. If he didn't want to play then, why does he want to play now? As I say, he's not the permanent right-back at Arsenal.'
