After 57 years, the nation of England dreams of once again lifting an international trophy to cement themselves as the best team in the world but after a failed World Cup campaign and losing on penalties to Italy in the EUROS final, England fans hold their breath as they wait for a trophy to come home again. Manager Gareth Southgate however, has one of the toughest jobs in the international football space, as he feels the heat of England fans breathing down his neck.
One of the main parts of his job is selecting a squad worthy of representing England on the big stage but this has always been a controversial topic amongst fans especially with the inclusion of players such as Jordan Henderson, Kalvin Phillips and Harry Maguire but what most people have not considered are players who do not want to represent England. Southgate revealed that Arsenal player Ben White did not want to be considered at this time for the England squad as the news was relayed to him by Arsenal Sporting director Edu Gaspar. The fall out of this decision has divided the country, with many believing Ben White should never be called up again and others trying to give him grace. This situation has opened up about the dark side of international football, the pressure players experience and how camp can be the opposite of what fans think it to be.
Ben White isn't the first player to ever turn down playing for their international team but ever since the player left the England World Cup camp in 2022, he has not been selected again for any international breaks which has fuelled rumours of a fall out between him, Southgate and assistant coach Steve Holland. Gareth Southgate has come out and denied rumours but reputable news outlet, The Athletic, released an article which seemingly confirms there was in fact bad relations between Ben White and Steve Holland. Holland allegedly engaged in a belittling argument with Ben White in front of other players and questioned his dedication because of past comments in which White expressed he doesn't watch football. White clarified that he doesn't watch football in the same entertaining factor that players and fans do but instead watches educationally so he can develop his game. The Athletic also shared that he struggled to settle in at the England camp and that these hard moments with Holland did not help.
Although there has been no official comment from Ben White's camp, there is a recurring theme of ex and current England players feeling immense pressure, lack of support and having poor relationships with their coaching staff. Ex-England players have voiced their issues in camp, speaking on segregation between players in which cliques were formed. Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard likened the England camp to a five star prison, Paul Gascoigne also spoke about how the England team impacted him and expressed how intense the pressure and scrutiny was. David Beckham hit the public's screens with his limited series on Netflix, voicing how he was thrown under the bus by ex-England manager Glenn Hoddle at the World Cup highlighting the lack of support and after that world cup campaign he was booed and jeered at constantly when he played for Manchester United. Even more recently, England stars Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford suffered incredible amounts of racist abuse after missing their penalties in the EUROs final. There are many instances of the unspoken side of international duty and the negatives it can have. Although, it is seen as a universal honour to represent one's country and most players feel happy to do so, there are many instances where players have left feeling unfulfilled or that their sanity was at the expense of attendance.
Playing for one's country is a badge of honour and a moment of patriotic pride for football players. To wear your flag proudly and represent your nation amongst the eyes of many is surely a memory burned into a players heart and soul but there is more to it than scoring goals and winning games. There is immense pressure and expectations which can cause players to suffer silently as an expense of living their dream. International duty is looked at in a very black and white manner and many do not consider the ugly shades of poor support for players. Until these issues are rectified there will be players who will walk away from their international team in the sake of sanity and sanctuary.
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