"It’s an honour to play next to him"- Arsenal's Ben White hails 'amazing' teammate, calls him 'the best' in his position

Arsenal centre-back Ben White has showered praise on his colleague Takehiro Tomiyasu, lauding the Japanese as the best right-back he has ever played with.

Tomiyasu has had an instant impact on the team since arriving at the Emirates Stadium last summer. He has become a first-team regular in manager Mikel Arteta's team, impressing many of his teammates, including White.

The centre-back said about his new defensive colleague, who has seemingly adapted well to life in England:

"Tomi is amazing. He’s the best right-back I’ve ever played with. He’s always focused. It’s an honour to play next to him. Tomi does the simple things at a world-class level. He is very alert, and he isn’t careless in games. From the beginning, he has completely understood English, and speaks as well as I do."

Ben White also addressed claims that he refuses to pass the ball to Takehiro Tomiyasu. The Englishman explained that at times he does not pass the ball to the Japanese international to avoid putting him under pressure from opposition players.

White said that opponents tend to target the right-back during pressing, which can hinder Arsenal's ball progression to the attacking third:

"I read the article about me not passing to Tomi. If you aren’t familiar with football, you might not understand, but opponents target passes to the right-back when they press."

"If I play the ball to Tomi, he will be targeted, and he might be in a situation where he has no options. It’s not that I don’t want to pass to Tomi, but it is the best way to build up our play so that it leads to the final third."

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How has Takehiro Tomiyasu fared for Arsenal thus far?

The Japanese joined Arsenal from Bologna last summer, and has impressed.

Arsenal signed Takehiro Tomiyasu from Serie A outfit Bologna in a deal worth €18 million on deadline day of the last summer transfer window. The right-back signed a four-year contract with the Gunners, which will keep him at the Emirates Stadium till the summer of 2025.

The defender has established himself as a regular in Arsenal's starting line-up following his transfer to London. He made his club debut in a Premier League clash against Norwich in September, playing 64 minutes.

The Japanese has made 16 appearances for the Gunners, recording one assists. It's worth noting that all his appearances have come in the English top flight, and he has started in every one of them.