LAY OFF BEN

Southgate urges fans to go easy on White after his call-up snub

- JOHN CROSS

GARETH SOUTHGATE hopes there will be no public backlash against Ben White despite going public over the Arsenal defender's England snub.

Southgate admitted he would have lost "credibility" had he not explained White's absence from yet another England squad considering his outstanding form for Arsenal this season.

Gunners technical director Edu rang his FA counterpart John McDermott last week to tell him that White did not want to be picked in the last squad ahead of the Euros.

Arsenal then rushed out a positive club video about White signing a new contract on the morning of the England squad announcement to try to take the sting out of the story and win the PR war.

White, who has won four caps, has not featured for England since flying home early from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar but has been one of the stand-out defenders in the Premier League this season.