Thomas Tuchel has called on England supporters to refrain from booing Ben White when the defender potentially starts against Japan at Wembley on Tuesday. The Arsenal player was jeered by a section of the crowd during Friday's 1-1 draw with Uruguay, his first England appearance since leaving the 2022 World Cup camp.
White scored his first international goal from close range but later conceded a penalty that allowed Uruguay to equalise. Tuchel acknowledged the booing but hopes it will not be repeated. 'I understand that it happened to some other players already for England and hopefully we got it out of our system,' he said.
The 28-year-old walked out of the 2022 World Cup after a reported argument with then-assistant Steve Holland and was not selected again until Tuchel's appointment. The manager indicated White has reintegrated well with the squad, adding: 'He has our support and I think he feels our support.'
Tuchel confirmed White is in contention to start against Japan, saying it would 'make sense to play a lot of players who have fresh legs'. The German coach expects the booing to be a thing of the past as the team moves forward.
