“I would have played if I was 50” - England legend Chris Waddle suggests Thomas Tuchel should ban Arsenal star from national team

England legend Chris Waddle has urged coach Thomas Tuchel to ban Arsenal star Ben White from the national team. Waddle's comments came after White reportedly refused to be a part of the Three Lions squad during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Ben White has four caps for England so far - all of which were international friendlies. The Arsenal star last featured for the Three Lions in a March 2022 fixture against Ivory Cost.

Former coach Gareth Southgate included White in the squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup but the defender flew back after the group stages. Reports suggested an altercation between White and Southgate's assistant, Steve Holland.

Since then, Gareth Southgate has reportedly called up Ben White to be included in the England squad several times. However, the Arsenal star made himself unavailable for selection.

Now, the arrival of Thomas Tuchel in place of Southgate appears to have changed White's mind, who is reportedly open to being a part of the squad again.

In an interview with 10Bet (h/t Metro UK), former England winger Chris Waddle shared his two cents on Ben White's inclusion in the Three Lions squad. Waddle urged Thomas Tuchel to exclude the full-back from the squad, claiming he should not get the luxury of choosing when he would like to play for the national team.

"I wouldn’t bring Ben White back in. He said he didn’t want to be picked again and he spat the dummy out, didn’t he? So now he’s alright to play. So, he wants to pick and choose his England career? Listen, you would never say you never want to play for England. I would never have said that. I would have played if I was 50," Waddle said.

Waddle believed that the Arsenal full-back should get a two-year ban from the national team and added:

"For the time he didn’t play, he didn’t want to play, I would say, ‘Well, we’ll give you the same ban. So if it was a year or two years, then I’d consider you in two years' time. For me, you should never say no."

Thomas Tuchel announced his first 26-man squad for England last week ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The German tactician's first games for the Three Lions will see them face Albania (March 21) and Latvia (March 23) - both scheduled to take place at Wembley Stadium.

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England coach Thomas Tuchel addresses Arsenal star Ben White's inclusion in the squad

Ben White - Source: Getty

In his press conference after announcing his squad for England, Thomas Tuchel addressed Arsenal star Ben White's potential inclusion. The 26-man squad currently does not include White. Tuchel said (via Metro UK):

"He loves to be back in the squad but it is too early now for him given the seriousness of the injury. I am delighted that he is back in back-to-back trainings. We are monitoring the process. Now it is a question of getting more minutes and he has every chance and he wants to be back."

Ben White notably underwent knee surgery in November 2024, leading him to miss 21 games for Arsenal this season. The defender returned to the pitch in February 2024. He has made 16 appearances across competitions for the Gunners this season.