Gareth Southgate offers Ben White England lifeline and makes shock Euro 2024 admission

Gareth Southgate has told Ben White that he can come back to play for England if he wants to, but he won't call him before the Euros. Declan Rice, who captained the Three Lions against Belgium on Tuesday night, said he will talk to his Arsenal teammate when they are both back playing for their club.

The former West Ham midfielder hopes White will want to play for England again. But Southgate said it's up to the Gunners defender because Arsenal told the FA that he didn't want to join the team in March.

Southgate said: "It's really for Ben now. Dec is obviously in a difficult situation you're asking him about a team-mate and he's going to be careful what he says. As I've said to you, the door is open for us.

«That's clearly difficult ahead of the Euros, where you've got players that have played all the way through but we have no idea of knowing who's going to be available in that area of the pitch.»

Southgate also said it's tough because there are players who have been with the team all the way, but no one knows who will be ready to play in the Euros, reports the Mirror. The Three Lions boss added: «I respected the situation as Arsenal have contacted us.

»So in the end, I know the conversation I had with him last March. I felt I should back away from it a little bit. But I've always left the door open. I was keen to bring him in this camp."

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Rice talked about White earlier this week. He said: «Ben is such a good guy and he is an unbelievable footballer. It is hard to know really what is going on but he has made his decision and he doesn't want to