Ben White’s decision to turn down England in favour of his well-being should not be held against him, according to Arsenal great Lee Dixon.
White has been noticeably missing from the England setup since March 2022, after choosing to depart the World Cup squad that year for personal reasons. That choice also saw him excluded from Gareth Southgate’s plans for Euro 2024 – not out of oversight but rather preference.
As Southgate’s tenure concluded post-Euro competition, many speculated whether White might seize the opportunity for an England comeback. It was interim manager Lee Carsley, though, who cleared the air by sharing that White personally requested to remain out of reach – signalling no imminent desire for a return to international play, an attitude Dixon thinks warrants no negative judgement.
Confronted with questions about White ahead of his first round of competitions as the temporary England manager, Carsley said: “As far as I’m aware, he [White] wasn’t available for selection. Nothing’s changed in my two weeks of being here.” On whether there were any efforts to persuade White to reconsider, Carsley stated firmly: “I’ve not planned to, no. As far as I’m aware, he has asked to be not contacted.
