“What a mess, what a shame” - England legend unhappy with Arsenal star Ben White’s decision to sit out of international duty ahead of Euro 2024

England icon Alan Shearer expressed his disappointment at Arsenal star Ben White's decision to sit out of international duty ahead of the UEFA European Championships 2024. England manager Gareth Southgate announced his provisional 33-member squad on May 21, with White not making the cut.

The 26-year-old has made four appearances for the Three Lions so far, all of them being in international friendlies. He was named in their 2022 FIFA World Cup squad but left the England camp midway through the tournament, citing personal reasons.

The defender hasn't featured for the national side since, with rumors swirling about an alleged rift with Southgate's assistant Steve Holland. The manager has publicly denied these claims but they are still the subject of speculation from the press.

White enjoyed an impressive 2023-24 campaign at club level. He racked up four goals, four assists and 23 clean sheets in 51 appearances across all competitions, playing an important role in Arsenal's Premier League title challenge.

Shearer, who netted 30 goals in 63 international appearances and captained England at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, expressed his dismay about White's decision. On The Rest is Football podcast, the 53-year-old said:

“You are going to a Euros tournament. You have had a season like Ben White has had and he isn’t going to be in that England squad. Come on, guys. Whatever it is. Whatever the reason."

"You have got to sit down, clear the air and say, ‘Let’s just sort this out for the sake of playing for our country.’ They have got an unbelievable chance of winning the Euros. Yet, he isn’t going to play a part in that after the season he has had. What a mess. What a shame.”

"I didn't speak to Ben White" - Gareth Southgate makes claim on Arsenal full-back's omission from Euro squad

England manager Gareth Southgate claimed that he hadn't spoken to Arsenal full-back Ben White after omitting him from his Euro 2024 squad. When asked why the 26-year-old right-back was left out of the squad, Southgate simply replied (via Football365):

“I didn’t speak to Ben White. As far as I am aware, he isn’t available to us.”

In March, Southgate had claimed to have received a call from Arsenal, saying that White did not want to be considered for England squads in the future. Referencing that phone call, the 53-year-old added:

"I respected the situation as Arsenal have contacted us. So, in the end, I know the conversation I had with him last March... I felt I should back away from it a little bit. But I’ve always left the door open."

England will be hoping to go one step further and win the 2024 European Championships after falling short to Italy in heart-breaking fashion in the final of the 2020 edition.