14 March 2024 , 16:48
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"The difference will be whether he defends his goal. Can he make a difference to this Arsenal team?"
It was a question posed by Gary Neville after Ben White's Gunners debut back in 2021. A 2-0 defeat by Brentford was hardly a dream start, but some Arsenal fans took objection to the way Sky Sports duo Neville and Jamie Carragher appeared to aim criticism at new signing White.
Less than three years on, White has answered that question in emphatic fashion. His path to becoming one of the first names on Mikel Arteta's team sheet may not have been straightforward, but the £50million man has not let his standards drop throughout.
Following his high-profile switch from Brighton, White spent his debut campaign at the Emirates as a central defender. However, William Saliba's return from a loan spell with Marseille meant that the ex-Seagulls star was moved to right-back and he's barely looked back since.
Boasting supreme technical quality, White has made the change in position look easy. Fresh doubt was cast on his Arsenal career following Saliba's return, with some suggesting the defender would be deemed surplus to requirements in north London.
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But, as explained by Arteta himself, the right-back is a "fighter", who may not watch much football in his spare time but certainly lives and breathes it every time he laces up his boots.
Plenty was made of his admission that he doesn't watch too much football, but as is becoming increasingly clear, White isn't someone who takes much notice of the doubters. Comfortable in his own heavily-tattooed skin, the 26-year-old may be viewed as one of Arsenal's unsung heroes, but certainly has admirers from within the club.
HAVE YOUR SAY!Where does White rank among the Premier League's best right-backs? Comment below
Ben White has signed a new four-year contract extension at ArsenalLook no further than Arteta, who has waxed lyrical over White on a number of occasions, including during the 'All or Nothing' Amazon programme released in 2022. The Spaniard described his defender as "brave", "really talented" and a "fighter", before adding: "He trains like he's playing the Champions League final.
"That's why he's come a long way in such a short time in his career, Ben has the capacity to play in different positions and that’s a big plus for any player."
It's for those sort of reasons why Arsenal were so desperate to get White tied down to a new contract. Thankfully for the Gunners, Thursday saw that extension confirmed, with the right-back now set to stay at the Emirates until 2028, with the option to extend for a further year.
After news of the new deal was confirmed, Arteta told Arsenal's website: "Ben is a key player for us, a top professional with a winning mentality, and one of the guys who leads by example every day.
"Ben’s ability, determination and positive attitude are so important, but he is also a great character and human being. We all look forward to continue working with Ben in the coming years."
Thursday, March 14 should have been the perfect day for White. A man not often in the spotlight, finally getting the praise he deserves in the aftermath of confirmation of his new contract. However, not all of the headlines were favourable.
That's because on the same day, England boss Gareth Southgate named his squad for the upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Belgium. White's name was not on the list, with the Three Lions manager keen to clear up any confusion surrounding his omission.
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"Clearly on form I can’t sit here and say he doesn’t deserve to be in," Southgate admitted. "We had a call from Edu (Arsenal sporting director) last week and he said Ben didn’t want to be considered for England squads at this time. For me that is a great shame."
Just why White has opted out of international duty is unclear, but many believe his decision stems from the alleged bust-up he had during the Qatar World Cup. The Arsenal ace left the squad midway through the tournament without making an appearance for his country.
Gareth Southgate has revealed Ben White asked not to be called up for England dutySouthgate left the door open for White to return to the fold in the future, but that appears increasingly unlikely. White has never publicly addressed his England absence.
He is not someone to conduct many interviews and those he does do often go viral for how short and sweet they are. Arsenal's announcement video confirming his contract extension showed White's team-mates describing him, while the man himself doesn't actually say anything for the entire clip.
The former Leeds loanee seems to prefer doing his talking on the pitch. That's how White has played his way into the hearts of the Emirates faithful, one of the first marquee signings of the Arteta-era, the right-back has admitted he "wouldn't want to be anywhere else" - including St. George's Park by the looks of things.
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