Ben White has now opened up about the first moment when he truly felt at home and settled with Arsenal.
Ben White is now an established fan-favourite at Arsenal.
The defender first joined the north London club from Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer of 2021. Prior to making that switch, he had had loan spells with Newport County, Peterborough United, and Leeds United, all whilst on the books with the Seagulls.
Since his arrival at the Emirates Stadium, he has been a near ever-present fixture in Mikel Arteta’s regular starting XI. In his first season at Arsenal, White played in the heart of the defence, alongside Gabriel Magalhaes. Following the emergence of William Saliba last season, the 26-year-old was moved out to right-back, and has since then gone from strength to strength.
With nearly three full seasons with the Gunners now under his belt, the four-cap England international has racked up 122 appearances for the club across all competitions. White is loved by Arsenal fans, for his consistency, reliability, and mastery of the ‘dark arts.’ He gives his all, week in, week out, and very rarely drops a sub-par performance.
Even when he is not fully fit, he can be relied upon to put a solid shift in. Earlier this season, for instance, he was required to play through pain for a significant period. Former Arsenal defender Rob Holding has previously hailed White’s incredible mentality for his ability to keep playing whilst carrying an injury.
Ben White reveals when he first felt settled at Arsenal
Arsenal recently rewarded White with a new long-term contract, and he can be expected to hold down that right-back berth for years to come.
However, whilst he is now part of the furniture at the Emirates Stadium, it took White a while to feel comfortable in his surroundings there.
In a recent interview on the official Arsenal YouTube channel, White revealed it took him a year to feel at home in the Gunners’ dressing room. He said, “I’d probably say the pre-season [one year] after I joined. I feel like I’ve always done a year somewhere and left again straight away to go on loan. Obviously, I went back to Brighton for a year, played there, and then came to Arsenal. It’s like the first time I’ve been back-to-back and stayed somewhere. So, I think it was probably that, when where I realised I’m here to stay and play.”
White has been in the news in recent days for his decision to withdraw himself from consideration for international selection. He knows that he will get the backing from Arteta and everyone else inside the club for this call. Arsenal fans will be quick to get behind him too.
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