Ben White *did* snub England because of Steve Holland as report details Southgate ignorance

As it turns out, despite Gareth Southgate’s adamant denial this was the reason, Ben White has indeed snubbed England because of Steve Holland’s comments at the World Cup in Qatar.

White was not included in Southgate’s squad for the upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Belgium after the England boss received a call from Arsenal director Edu to tell him the defender was not available for selection.

Southgate ignorance

Southgate, having said White would have been in the squad had he not pulled out, insisted last week that his absence was unrelated to the Gunners star’s relationship with Holland.

The England boss said: “Also, I should say there’s never any issue with Steve Holland [and White], because that has sort of been mentioned in articles and I don’t like that.

“People can talk about me, and I have to accept that things get said that are false about me. For whatever reason in this role, you have to almost stomach that. But I’m not prepared for that to happen for a key member of my coaching team because that is not the reason Ben is unavailable for selection.”

Except that is the reason, Gareth.

READ: Ben White saga has exposed Southgate and England staff failures after pathetic six-word insult

The FA made the announcement on November 30 that White had left their hotel in Al Wakrah, Qatar for “personal reasons” and asked that his privacy be respected.

The Athletic reported last week that White had ‘issues with being out of the side’ in Qatar, which led to a ‘row’ with Holland, who gave the full-back ‘a verbal dressing-down’ in front of his teammates.

‘A question of respect’

But The Telegraph now report that White’s lack of game time was ‘not a key reason for the unhappiness on his part’, and instead claim that ‘the heart of the problem appears to be a question of the respect accorded to the player’, with the ‘public nature’ of the exchange also thought to have rubbed White up the wrong way.

The report adds:

‘The fall-out that eventually led to White asking to come home from England’s Doha base at the World Cup in November of that year started with a conversation between the player and Holland in front of other members of the squad. It was described by sources as having begun when Holland asked Kyle Walker a question relating to Manchester City’s performance in the previous season.

‘When he asked the same of White relating to Arsenal, the 26-year-old said that he did not know the answer. It is claimed Holland responded by saying that was because White was not sufficiently interested in football. It was that moment that ultimately led to the player asking to come home on Nov 30.

‘The exchange was understood to have been days before the player asked to leave the England camp in Doha. Until that request was delivered, Southgate and his staff thought that there was no longer an issue between White and Holland. There was no row or clash – public or private – between the pair. Subsequent to the initial comment from Holland, the two men did exchange their views in a private conversation on the same day.’

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