Jermaine Jenas defends Ben White over his decision to snub an England call up
Jermaine Jenas has backed Ben White over his England snub, insisting the Arsenal defender ‘has to decide what’s best for his career and no one else’.
England boss Gareth Southgate named his Three Lions squad this week ahead of friendlies against Brazil and Belgium but revealed that White had asked not to be considered.
It came after White left the England camp midway through the 2022 World Cup in Qatar due to ‘personal reasons’, with later reports he had a bust-up with Southgate’s assistant manager Steve Holland.
White - who has been in terrific form for league leaders Arsenal this season - has not been involved for England since and Southgate said he was unaware why the player had declined the call-up.
But former England international Jenas came to White’s defence, claiming that although it was a ‘strange’ situation, it was ultimately the Arsenal man’s call alone, stressing there could be any number of reasons for his decision.
‘It is strange', Jenas told Mail Sport in Brazil ahead of the São Paulo E-Prix, which he will host for TNT’s coverage of the Formula E race.
‘I think not everybody's patriotic, and I think we have to accept that. I think Ben has his own reasons why he feels it's best for him to not be selected for England. For all we know, him not being selected with England has such a positive impact on his club career, and he wants to focus on that.
‘Not everybody's the same in football. We like to kind of pigeonhole players like, “you've got to fight for your country”. It might be a footballing reason. It might be like, “what's the point in me going if I'm not going to play?”'
Jenas added that White’s absence opened the door to other young players like Jarrad Branthwaite as he hailed him for ‘one of his best years
Read on m.allfootballapp.com
