England star axed from 2022 FIFA World Cup squad for having a bust-up with Gareth Southgate's assistant Steve Holland - Reports
Arsenal star Ben White left England's 2022 FIFA World Cup squad ahead of their group stage match against Wales and it's now been revealed that he had a bust-up with assistant coach Steve Holland.
The 25-year-old was called up to Gareth Southgate's squad for the Qatar showpiece and was an unused substitute in their games against Iran and USA.
On November 30, the Three Lions officially announced that White had left their camp and returned home for "personal reasons."
However, details have now emerged that the full-back allegedly had a bust-up with Southgate's assistant, Steve Holland, leading to his axing.
White clashed with Holland for not knowing vital information about his own statistics as well as that of the US team ahead of their clash on matchday two of the group stages.
He also struggled to mix up with his teammates, which ultimately left him unhappy.
A decision was made to release him from the squad, something that might have disappointed White as he was on a fine run of form with the Gunners this season.
However, the Englishman's lack of knowledge of their rivals would be no surprise considering White never watched Arsenal live and was unaware of club legend Patrick Vieira too.
In an interview last year, he said (The Daily Star):
"No I never watched football when I was younger, still don't now. I just loved the game, I was always playing it - never watching it. So I don't know too much about older generations."
On Vieira, he said:
"I know he was a very good player. But I wouldn't know the details. I'm quite busy, I'm always doing something."
White wasn't the only England player to return to London as Raheem Sterling also had to go home after his home was allegedly burgled. However, the Chelsea star has already returned to Qatar and is expected to feature in their quarter-final clash with France.
England face France in a 2022 FIFA World Cup thriller
England take on France tomorrow in a potential FIFA World Cup classic as both teams bid to reach the semi-finals for the second time running.
Les Bleus are the reigning champions and the favorites on paper, but the Three Lions demonstrated their frightening potential with a clinical performance against Senegal in the last round.
Both European heavyweights are packed to the rafters with incredible quality in all departments, and watching them go head-to-head would be a real treat.