Ben will regret this at the end of his career ...and I should know
IF Ben White is refusing to represent England because of a grudge, he will regret this stance at the end of his career — even more so if it means missing out on Euro 2024. I am certain of it.
I should know, too, because I still rue my own refusal in 1998. I should stress I’m not entirely privy to White’s situation. When he mysteriously flew home from Qatar midway through the 2022 World Cup, the FA cited ‘personal reasons’, before stories emerged that he had fallen out with Gareth Southgate’s assistant Steve Holland over not doing his assigned homework on opponents. My situation was different. I was midway through a season in which I won the Premier League’s Golden Boot with Blackburn Rovers. I’d been capped for England against Cameroon in November 1997. Then I was told by Glenn Hoddle that I wasn’t going to be called up for the game against Chile in February 1998. Instead, I was being demoted to the reserves. I felt wronged so I told Hoddle — stupidly, I might add — where to shove his England
B squad.
My dad, Mike, had told me not to do it. My club manager, Roy Hodgson, had told me not to do it. I did it anyway and I’ve already admitted on Mail Sport’s It’s All Kicking Off podcast that I was an idiot. I’ve since apologised to
Hoddle for questioning his authority so publicly and, ultimately, that 24-year-old kid paid the price. I was exiled.
I didn’t make it to the 1998 World Cup. I never won a cap for my country again. It was covered in all the newspapers, my regretful reaction to Hoddle’s snub.
The Daily Mirror ran one poll which asked readers to describe my decision — 51 per cent said I was ‘arrogant’, 29 per cent said ‘stupid’ and 20 per cent said ‘brave’.
There is no winner in this latest situation. England lose because this is a right back who has been electric for Arsenal this season, brilliant at overlapping Bukayo Saka and deserving of the new deal he has been handed by his club.
White loses, because he misses out on representing his country, the greatest honour that can befall any footballer. I don’t buy the talk of this player in his prime not being a fan of football. He seems to enjoy it enough when in an Arsenal shirt. Maybe the full story will emerge one day, but I’m glad that Southgate has said the door is still open. That was slammed shut for me after my refusal. Hopefully, we will see White in an England shirt again. If not, he will regret it. Maybe not now, but one day.