“We don’t talk enough about the efficiency” - Frank Leboeuf names 26-year-old Arsenal star in Premier League team of the season
Former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf has named Arsenal's Ben White in his Premier League team of the season. He claimed that the Englishman's "efficiency and consistency" puts him above the likes of Kyle Walker.
The Gunners narrowly missed out on the Premier League title this season, finishing just two points behind Manchester City. A big part of their title challenge was their solid defense. They kept a league-highest 18 clean sheets and conceded a league-lowest 29 goals this season.
One of the key members of Arsenal's defense was right-back Ben White. The Englishman made 37 Premier League appearances and contributed four goals and four assists. Leboeuf recently picked his team of the season for ESPN and added White as the right-back, saying (via HITC):
“Instead of (Kyle) Walker, I went for (Ben) White. We don’t talk enough about the efficiency and the consistency of White. He had a very good season with the Gunners, with Saliba on his side as well.”
White joined Arsenal from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2021 for £50 million. Primarily a centre-back, he's mostly played as a right-back in the last two seasons. Overall, he has made 134 appearances for the Gunners and contributed six goals and 10 assists.
Gareth Southgate on Arsenal defender Ben White's absence from England's Euro 2024 squad
England manager Gareth Southgate announced a 33-man provisional squad on Tuesday (May 21) for the upcoming UEFA Euro 2024. However, Arsenal defender Ben White didn't make it to the squad. When asked about his absence, Southgate replied (via Goal):
"No. As far as I am aware he isn't available to us."
White was part of England's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar but left during the group stages without playing a minute due to personal reasons. He also made himself unavailable for the Three Lions' games in March earlier this year. The 26-year-old has made just four appearances for England so far, with the last one coming back in March 2022.
Gareth Southgate, meanwhile, has Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Joe Gomez, and Trent Alexander-Arnold as his right-back options.