Mikel Arteta has hailed Ben White’s involvement in the Arsenal camp despite the mysterious circumstances in which he left England’s World Cup squad.
White left Qatar for ‘personal reasons’ midway through England’s World Cup bid, but later reports suggested that the Arsenal defender had a row with national assistant manager Steve Holland, and left afterwards.
He returned to club duty, and featured in Arsenal’s mid-season friendly against AC Milan in Abu Dhabi, which the Gunners won 2-1.
Speaking after the win, the manager said he was ‘very pleased’ with White after his return to the club.
He added: ‘Everybody has been giving him a lot of support and love. We know the reasons he had to leave and it’s good to have him in good shape.’
People have been questioning White’s character in the wake of the rumours of a falling out with England’s senior staff.
When asked about media concerns over White’s attitude, Arteta said: ‘We can’t control that. I know who Ben is, what he needs, what his character is and how happy we all are to have him at the club.’