What really happened between Ben White and Steve Holland in Qatar

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Ben White could make his first England appearance in four years tonight, ending a self-imposed exile that began with a controversial departure from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The Arsenal defender left England’s World Cup camp midway through the tournament over what was officially described as ‘personal reasons’, but reports have since emerged about the true nature of his exit.

The Qatar incident explained

According to The Telegraph, the incident began when then-assistant manager Steve Holland made what was described as a ‘barbed comment’ about White’s admitted lack of interest in football outside his playing career.

Holland reportedly asked Kyle Walker a question about Manchester City’s previous season performances, then posed a similar question to White about Arsenal’s form. When White admitted he didn’t know the answer, Holland allegedly remarked that the defender wasn’t ‘sufficiently interested’ in football enough to know.

White is said to have viewed this as disrespectful, particularly as it was done in front of other squad members and staff. Despite his displeasure with the situation, there was reportedly no direct confrontation between the two men.

The 28-year-old subsequently made himself unavailable for selection throughout Gareth Southgate’s remaining tenure as England manager, winning the last of his four caps against the Ivory Coast in March 2022.

Tuchel’s second chance

New England manager Thomas Tuchel has welcomed White back into the fold, calling him up as a replacement for the injured Jarell Quansah for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.

Tuchel believes the Arsenal star deserves a ‘second chance’ but has suggested White may need to ‘clear the air’ with squad members who were present in Qatar.

‘I didn’t want to know about it because I think he deserves a second chance. He has not put a foot wrong with me,’ Tuchel said in his pre-match press conference.

The German manager revealed White’s positive reaction to his recall, describing it as ‘very positive and emotional’ with the defender making it clear how delighted he was to return.

Tuchel expressed confidence that England fans at Wembley would support rather than boo White during tonight’s clash against Uruguay, asking supporters to give the defender ‘a fair chance’.

White’s return represents a significant moment for both player and country, with the right-back having been desperate to return to international duty for many months according to Tuchel’s assessment.