Ben White stands by decision to leave World Cup camp and insists he isn’t bothered about England fans’ boos

Ben White will not be going into further detail about his decision to leave the England camp at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Arsenal defender, who made a return to the Three Lions set-up in March, has decided not to ‘throw anyone under the bus’. White left the squad during the World Cup in Qatar four years ago, and went on to make himself unavailable for a call-up up until this year. The reasoning behind his exit from the camp has never been revealed, with the FA explaining it was due to ‘personal reasons’ at the time. Reports of a clash with ex-assistant Steve Holland had done the rounds, but then-England boss Gareth Southgate downplayed the rumours in 2024 . Now, White is back in the England fold under Thomas Tuchel , who ended the right-back’s national team hiatus in March. Tuchel called him back up for the squad and he made two appearances, but his re-inclusion caused some backlash from fans as he was booed when he stepped onto the pitch at Wembley. The 29-year-old did not represent England at the World Cup last summer, although he was ruled out by a knee ligament injury sustained late in the 2025/26 season. He is set to play in front of the Three Lions faithful again this week after being picked for the upcoming Nations League games against Croatia and Spain, both live on talkSPORT. Why did Ben White leave the England camp? Ahead of those clashes, White spoke exclusively to talkSPORT about his controversial decision to leave the England camp in 2022. White explained: “It’s something I haven’t spoken about, and I won’t go into detail about it. It’s a decision I don’t want to talk about in a negative way or throw anyone under the bus.” “It wasn’t an ideal situation but it’s probably one I would still make,” he went on to admit. “Obviously, it’s amazing to be (back in camp) in a fresh moment ahead of the two games.” Clarifying whether he refused to play for England following the incident four years ago, he added: “There were loads of things that happened and communication wasn’t great. “I don’t want to throw anyone under the bus. A lot of people try to do that to me so it’s something I don’t want to do myself.” White then went on to discuss the backlash that he faced on his return to the England team under Tuchel’s management. When asked how hard it was for him, he said: “Especially because they didn’t know the situation, which is kind of what I put my mind to. “They don’t know my situation, so it’s not really about what I’ve done because they don’t actually know why. And I think if they did, they probably wouldn’t be booing or saying these things.” He concluded: “The booing’s fine, I’ve had it before. It wasn’t something that bothered me too much. A few boos weren’t going to upset me too much.” White ‘proud’ to play for England again With the chapter now over, White appears to be a favourite of the England boss and he has a future with the team. So, how does he feel to be back playing for his country? “It’s such a different feeling, I’m just immensely proud,” he said. “I think of what I’ve done to get in this position that no one has seen. “So, just taking a step back and being proud of how much I’ve done to get into this situation.” The Arsenal star was then asked if he wanted to send any message to the fans who have doubted his commitment to the Three Lions. He replied: “I don’t think I’m looking to win anyone over or say anything that helps them get back on my side. “It is what it is and there’s reason for it. “I’m just looking forward to playing for England, doing well, helping the team and looking for success.” How did Tuchel convince White to return? Speaking ahead of England’s upcoming fixtures with White in the squad, Tuchel urged fans not to boo White for the incident. He believes it should be ‘a closed book’ and praised the ‘investment’ of the defender when recalled to the Three Lions’ camp . The backing of the manager comes after he got in touch with White and managed to convince him to return to the set-up. “I think with the boss, he doesn’t need to say too much,” White said, revealing what Tuchel did to get him to accept a call-up. “The effort that he made to speak to me and reach out was so nice and I really appreciated it. “As soon as you see a manager like that, you want to learn and play under a manager like that, so it was a huge thing playing for Thomas, for sure.” On what Tuchel specifically said to draw him back into international football, he added: “The word ‘play’ maybe… “A different option to some of the other full-backs in England now… obviously I had some good moments over the years, playing at a top club, winning things and I think I can bring something different to the team.”