Harry Maguire addresses Ben White’s controversial England snub as new theory emerges

Harry Maguire has discussed Ben White’s England snub

Harry Maguire, an England defender, has stated that he does not know why Arsenal star Ben White has no desire to play for the Three Lions under Gareth Southgate.

Harry Maguire acknowledged that he does not know why Ben White declined an England call-up, but he did commend the Arsenal defender’s training regimen.

The fact that White was left out of Gareth Southgate’s 25-man roster generated a lot of discussion leading up to the two friendlies against Brazil and Belgium. White had requested not to be considered for selection, the Three Lions manager made clear, and Gunners sporting director Edu informed the FA of the decision.

Since leaving the 2022 World Cup early due to rumors that he and White had a falling out, the 26-year-old has not played for England. White left Qatar early, and the FA at the time gave him ‘personal reasons’ for his early departure.

The Gunners defender has received a lot of backlash after Southgate revealed that White does not want to be in this England team right now. White’s Three Lions snub was described as “disgusting” by former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp, and a number of supporters and commentators have stated the former Brighton star shouldn’t play for his country ever again.

But Maguire is among the first of the current crop to speak out about White’s decision to forego international service. The center back for United has stated that he is unsure of the intentions of his compatriot.

“Ben is a fantastic football player,” Maguire said to The Times prior to England’s Saturday night friendly against Brazil. “He trained really well [during the World Cup before leaving early], but I’m not really sure why he doesn’t want to be in the team right now.

“All I know is that the greatest honor a football player can receive is to play for their country. I used to dream of playing for my country when I was a little boy. I’ll seize every chance I get. For me, representing my country through sports means everything.”

Not just Maguire, an England international, has talked about White’s behavior on the training field. Although he wasn’t included in the squad that went to Qatar two years ago, Conor Coady praised White’s character and was a member of that squad.

“He was a great character to have around the place when I was in the England squad,” Coady said on BBC Radio 5 Live. “First and foremost, he is an amazing young man. He is a top drawer in terms of his training and business practices.”

Coady continued, expressing his sadness over White’s circumstances and asserting, “He deserves to play for his country.” The remarks follow reports that the star player for Arsenal has been playing through pain for the majority of the Premier League season.

That same knock, though, is not believed to have had any influence on White’s choice to decline England duty.