Thomas Tuchel has revealed he will attempt to call Ben White up to his first England squad, two years on from the defender’s last appearance for his country.
The Arsenal star hasn’t played for the Three Lions since exiting the World Cup early in dramatic circumstances back in 2022.
White repeatedly made it clear to Gareth Southgate that he wasn’t interested in playing for his country while the former Middlesbrough boss was at the helm.
And Lee Carsley also revealed that the 27-year-old wasn’t available for selection during his time in charge as interim manager.
Thomas Tuchel has revealed he will attempt to call Ben White up to his first England squad, two years on from the defender’s last appearance for his country
PA
It is currently unclear if White is open to resuming his international career.
But Tuchel, speaking in Zurich, has now indicated that the former Brighton star will be given the chance to play for his country despite his previous stance.
“Yes, I will reach out to him,” said the former Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund star when asked about White.
“It should be a clean start and a clear narrative. It starts from January.
JUST IN: Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim makes feelings clear on furious row between two players after Viktoria Plzen win
“I will be in the stadiums from January. I will also not distract the players and they should just know: ‘Okay, the boss is there from January.’
“Then I will of course try to speak to them, but also be respectful to the schedule that they have, because the schedule is busy in January, especially in the Premier League.”
White could be a useful player for England.
Though he made his name as a centre-back, he’s proven equally capable at right-back during his time as an Arsenal player.
READ MORE:Frank Warren responds to Tyson Fury weight rumours ahead of seismic Oleksandr Usyk boxing rematch
Tuchel was also quizzed on whether Harry Kane would retain the captaincy.
Though the Bayern Munich star remains prolific in front of goal, he struggled for the Three Lions during the European Championships back in the summer.
Kane also raised eyebrows by recently criticising England players who pulled out of international duty during the November break.
And Tuchel has insisted he’s yet to make any final decisions on the captaincy, while also saying there’s no need to change things up right now.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
Thomas Tuchel is set to give Ben White the chance to resurrect his England career after two years of not playing for his country
PA
“At the moment there is no need to think about the change,” continued the 51-year-old.
“I’m in charge from January. Harry was also always a top captain for England. So why do you even think about it at the moment?
“You cross the river when you’re at the river.
“First come January, then we will be in touch with everyone and get the feeling for St George’s and also for the players.
Thomas Tuchel has insisted he’s in no rush to decide on the England captaincy as Harry Kane looks to keep the armband
PA
“And until March, there’s still a lot of football to be played and then we will try to find the best group for the games that await.”
Tuchel was speaking in Zurich after the World Cup qualifying draw.
The Three Lions have been drawn in Group K and will face Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra as they look to qualify for the 2026 tournament.
Post comments (0)