- The 27-year-old has been mainstay at the Gunners but has been in England exile
- He reportedly fell out with Steve Holland in 2022 but now wants a shock return
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New England manager Thomas Tuchel says he will reach out to Arsenal defender Ben White in a bid to end his international exile.
White, 27, has not played for England since leaving the Qatar World Cup early in December 2022.
But Tuchel said after the World Cup qualifying draw in Zurich today that all his England players will begin his tenure with a clean slate.
‘Yes I will reach out to him,’ said Tuchel.
‘It should be a clean start and a clear narrative. It starts from January.
‘I will be in the stadiums from January. I will also not distract the players and they should just know: “Okay, the boss is there from January”.
Thomas Tuchel, pictured in Zurich on Friday, plans to reach out to Arsenal defender Ben White
White has not played for England since leaving the Qatar World Cup early in December 2022
Tuchel has said that all of his England players will begin his tenure with a clean slate
White declared himself unavailable to Gareth Southgate (R) after a row with Steve Holland (L)
‘Then I will of course try to speak to them, but also be respectful to the schedule that they have, because the schedule is busy in January, especially in the Premier League.’
White is considered one of the best full-backs in the country and can also play at the centre of defence. But he has only played four times for his country.
He declared himself unavailable to Tuchel’s predecessor Gareth Southgate and the impasse that followed continued through Lee Carsley’s six-match spell as interim manager.
But former Chelsea manager Tuchel says he will approach his 18-month role with an open mind and that also includes issues regarding the captaincy.
England skipper Harry Kane – who Tuchel signed at Bayern Munich – has been under pressure for his place recently and was dropped by Carsley for his country’s penultimate Nations League game in Greece last month.
‘At the moment there is no need to think about the change,’ Tuchel added.
‘I’m in charge from January. Harry was also always a top captain for England. So why do you even think about it at the moment?
‘You cross the river when you’re at the river.
White has continued to impress for Arsenal since his decision to step away from England
The 27-year-old, pictured with wife Milly Adams, could now be set to return to the fold
The pair started their relationship at some point in 2022 and married in May of last year
Adams frequently attends Arsenal matches at the Emirates to support her husband
‘First come January, then we will be in touch with everyone and get the feeling for St George’s and also for the players.
‘And until March, there’s still a lot of football to be played and then we will try to find the best group for the games that await.’
