Ben White is back in the England squad under Thomas Tuchel but TalkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan is still having none of it, it seems.
White has been given the nod after a number of injuries and he returns to an England camp for the first time since 2022.
White famously insisted he wouldn’t play for England while Gareth Southgate and Steve Holland were in charge but is now back in the fold. However, TalkSPORT’s resident opinion master, Simon Jordan, has hit out.
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Simon Jordan claims Ben White doesn’t deserve to play for England
There will be differing opinions on this one around the country but when it comes to Jordan’s view, he’s clear in that he’s not really onboard with matters.
Speaking live alongside Martin Keown, Jordan insisted that White had burnt his bridges.
“When you play for your country it’s an honour, a privilege. At the time, I think my attitude towards it was well that should be him done. Now, clearly Thomas Tuchel is in the business of winning football matches and also, we’ve heard Ben White talk about his lack of interest in football when he’s not playing and I would say that’s fair enough,” Jordan said on TalkSPORT.
“Again, we don’t know the length and breadth of it. If part of it was being a peripheral player and he couldn’t find his way through to any objections he had. But he’s a peripheral player because he’s part of a squad.
Asked whether his view was that he still feels White should be excluded from the England setup, Jordan doubled down.
“I think it’s still probably my view. He’s one of those players, if you look at the optics of it, he spends more time on a sunbed and how he looks. I’ve never been for him as a player, I think he’s ok. I didn’t like the attitude of leaving the England camp because he didn’t get picked, get over it. It’s not about you.”
“You forsake all the c**p in the background and how much your own backside needs wiping and play for your country.”
Ben White’s form is more of a concern than his England future
While there’ll be plenty of comment around White and his recall to the Three Lions under Tuchel, the reality is that he’s quite lucky to get in.
Sure, he is one of the premier defenders in England when he’s playing and on-song but this season, he has played second fiddle for much of the campaign behind Jurrien Timber.
So, while there are arguments for and against White being actually part of the England scene for the future, the fact right now is that he’s not really been involved enough to warrant the call.
Furthermore, it puts more pressure on Tuchel in terms of why he isn’t selecting Trent Alexander-Arnold – who is a regular for Real Madrid – over White.
Tuchel has potentially made things tricky for himself here. As for White, he’ll need to ensure he delivers in this camp and he might just have some apologising to do as well to a few senior pros.
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