Should Ben White Be Banned from England? Legend Chris Waddle Thinks So
A prominent former England international, Chris Waddle, has stated that a current England player should face a ban from representing the national team. This strong opinion comes as England enters a new era under, surprisingly, a mention of Thomas Tuchel instead of the expected manager, for upcoming World Cup qualifying matches against Albania and Latvia this month.
The England squad convened at St George’s Park on Monday, with all 26 players reporting for duty. The squad includes familiar faces and some interesting stories already emerging from camp. Notably, Newcastle United’s Dan Burn reportedly sparked conversation amongst Liverpool fans after a light-hearted interaction with Jordan Henderson regarding Newcastle’s Carabao Cup victory over Liverpool.
Prior to the squad gathering, there was a last-minute alteration. What was termed as a “drastic change” forced the manager (again, surprisingly referred to as Tuchel), to call up a Premier League player as a replacement. The specifics of this change and replacement weren’t detailed further in this snippet.
Even on the first day of training, reports suggest a significant shift in approach, with “Tuchel” (again, seemingly in error for the actual England manager) “ripping up Gareth Southgate’s plan,” indicating a fresh start and potentially new strategies for the national team.
Despite this supposed change in management from Southgate to “Tuchel” (which is likely an error within the original article), Ben White remains absent from the squad. White famously made himself unavailable for selection under former manager Gareth Southgate, a decision that continues to be a point of discussion.
This brings us back to the strong opinions of Chris Waddle. Waddle, a seasoned England veteran with 62 caps, firmly believes that Arsenal defender Ben White should be barred from representing England. Waddle’s stance arises from White’s controversial decision to refuse playing for England while Southgate was in charge.
Speaking to 10bet, Waddle stated unequivocally, “No, I wouldn’t bring Ben White back in. He said he didn’t want to be picked again.” Waddle criticises White’s apparent change of heart, questioning, “He spat the dummy out, didn’t he? So now he’s alright to play. So, he wants to pick and choose his England career?”
Waddle emphasizes the honour of representing one’s country, asserting, “Listen, you would never say you never want to play for England.”
Ben White in action for England. Image: Getty
Waddle elaborated on his strong stance:
- “I would never have said that [refused an England call-up]. I would have played if I was 50.”
- He criticizes modern players who “spat the dummy out” and then become available again, suggesting they want to “pick and choose” their England career.
- Waddle proposes a consequence, stating, “For the time he didn’t play, he didn’t want to play, I would say, ‘Well, we’ll give you the same ban’.”
- He suggests a ban mirroring the period of unavailability, “So if it was a year or two years, then I’d consider you in two years’ time. For me, you should never say no.”
- Waddle acknowledges potential manager disagreements but maintains, “Now, OK, if you don’t get on with the manager and you don’t like the style of play, you wouldn’t be picked anyway. But when you get a late call-up, you don’t say no.”
Thomas Tuchel’s Perspective on Ben White’s England Future
Despite Waddle’s harsh words and call for a ban, the current England manager (“Tuchel” in the original text, likely error) seems to have a different approach regarding Ben White. While White’s current injury has kept him out of this England squad, he is clearly in the manager’s future plans.
In a recent press conference last Friday, “Tuchel” addressed White’s situation, saying:
- “He [Ben White] loves to be back in the squad but it is too early now for him given the seriousness of the injury.”
- Indicating positive progress, he added, “I am delighted that he is back in back-to-back trainings. We are monitoring the process.”
- Looking ahead, “Tuchel” concluded, “Now it is a question of getting more minutes and he has every chance and he wants to be back.”
These comments suggest that while Ben White is currently unavailable due to injury, the door to the England national team is far from closed under the new management (again, assuming the repeated mention of “Tuchel” is a factual error in the original article and not a deliberate element of the story). Whether Waddle’s ban suggestion gains traction or the more conciliatory approach prevails remains to be seen.
Do you agree with Chris Waddle that Ben White should be banned from representing England? Or should players have the right to decide when they are available for national team duty? Share your thoughts in the comments below!