Former Arsenal defender Rob Holding has now shared his thoughts on Ben White.
Rob Holding and Ben White shared a dressing room at Arsenal for two seasons before the former left the club in the recent summer transfer window.
In White’s first season at the Emirates Stadium he played as a centre-back, pushing Holding further down the pecking order. However, at the start of last season, with William Saliba integrated into the squad, Mikel Arteta reinvented White as a right-back.
The 26-year-old quickly got to grips with the full-black role and has made it his own. He is now very much the Gunners’ first choice option in that position, whilst Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes have formed a reliable partnership in the heart of the rearguard.
White has also developed an excellent on-field relationship with Bukayo Saka. The pair often combine and link up on the right flank, whilst White can also be counted upon to provide the kind of overlapping runs that create extra space for the Hale End academy graduate to work in.
White has spoken out publicly about how his connection with Saka has helped him to thrive as a right-back.
Rob Holding heaps praise on Arsenal star Ben White
Holding also isn’t surprised to see the former Brighton and Hove Albion man flourishing on the flank of the defensive line.
Speaking on Harry’s Gym Chat, the Crystal Palace man said, “Ben White, he’s such a diverse [player], he’s perfect for a right back but he’s also perfect for a centre-half because he’s not the broadest, he’s not the heaviest, he’s not the strongest, I think he weighs like 78, which is light.”
“I’m like how are you that light because he’s tall as well but he’s super lean but he can go up and down all day but then he can slot into centre-half and still have enough to put it about and be strong.”
With his grounding as a centre-back, White is able to be defensively solid as a right-back. Earlier in his career, with Brighton and Leeds United, he also spent time playing in the middle of the park. This midfield experience helped to hone his technique and ability on the ball.
This now allows him to excel when working to combine with the likes of Saka and Martin Odegaard in tight areas higher up the pitch. It also means he is confident when passing the ball around in his own half when up against a high-pressing opposition, as Arteta demands that his Arsenal side are able to play out from the back.
White has had some fitness issues this season, which have hampered some of his performances. In general, though, he has established himself as an excellent full-back.
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