March 14, (THEWILL)- Arsenal defender Ben White has ruled himself out of contention for the England national team.
The 25-year-old left Gareth Southgate’s squad midway through the 2022 World Cup for personal reasons and has not returned since. “For me, that is a great shame,” Southgate said of White’s decision.
With White unavailable, the door opens for Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite and Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon to receive their first senior call-ups. As THEWILL reported, the duo will join the Three Lions for upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Belgium as preparations ramp up for Euro 2024.
Liverpool’s Joe Gomez, Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa and Brentford striker Ivan Toney also return to the England fold. Toney’s inclusion comes at the first opportunity after serving an eight-month ban for breaching betting regulations. However, regulars Kalvin Phillips and Raheem Sterling missed out on selection.
“He’s good with the ball, shows good composure, good mentality. He’s a left-footer and we don’t have many left-footed defenders,” Southgate explained regarding the 21-year-old Branthwaite’s call-up. The young defender has impressed despite Everton’s struggles this season.
England host Brazil on March 23 before facing Belgium three days later at Wembley. These games represent the final opportunities for players to impress Southgate ahead of the Euro 2024 squad announcement.
England reached the final of Euro 2020 and are among the favourites for this year’s tournament in Germany.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
