Ben White: Playing football is just a part-time job, and you can do whatever you want away from football after work
The following article is from the Northwest Lookout Stand, written by Ned
Ben White, one of England's best defenders today, has made his mark across the professional football pyramid in England. The recent news of his rejection of a call-up to the national team has caused controversy in the football world, but the fans have sided with him almost overwhelmingly. Because Ben White's personality and practices are very similar to our ordinary workers.
"I, Benjamin William White. ”
"Go to work with all your heart and do whatever you want after work. ”
Childhood in a hospital bed
Ben White was born on October 8, 1997 in the harbour city of Poole in the south of England, the son of a gardener father and a housewife mother. Unlike many players who are born with incredible talent, Ben White starts with hellish difficulty. He has had an immune system since he was a child, and he has been taking antibiotics every day since he was one and a half years old, and he has to be hospitalized for months at every turn, and he even has to carry an adrenaline syringe when he goes out, because "he can get pneumonia if someone sneezes nearby......
Obviously, Ben White's factory setting has nothing to do with athletes, but rather a script for a Mary Sue sick male lead. Due to the child's poor health, his parents even held a family meeting, at which a resolution was passed - "If we can't wrap Ben in a bubble forever, then let him do what he wants to do and live a better life." ”
"Do what you want to do", this is the life credo that Ben White's parents set for him from a young age. At the age of 5, Ben White began to fall in love with playing football and his health gradually improved. At the age of 8, doctors said he had fully recovered his health. It was also that year that Southampton scouts spotted the skinny but very spiritual kid on the community pitch and an offer brought him to the Saints Academy.
However, as a child, Ben White did not see football as an inevitable career choice, and a big reason for attending the academy was "to be able to go to school a few less classes".
A simple playfulness sparked a simple passion, and after joining the Saints, Ben White devoted almost all of his spare time to the green field. However, he received bad news when he was 16 years old...... Southampton felt that he had no future and decided to terminate his contract early.
When football may have left the main stage of his life, Ben White found himself so lost.
"Mom asked me, do you want to keep playing?"
I replied without hesitation, yes I think. ”
So, Ben White's mother called a number of clubs in the hope that they would give their son a tryout. Leicester City and Bristol City both expressed interest in him after the trial, with Ben White opting for Brighton. Because...... Close to home.
At the age of 17, Brighton signed Ben White to his first contract.
When he signed, for the first time, he felt that football was not just a hobby, but "about his future".
Teenage White's fantasy rafting
It was the Seagulls' then-scouting director Mark Anderson who brought Ben White into Brighton. "What appealed to me the most about Ben in the tryout was his mentality – relaxed, lifting weights before receiving the ball and showing good leadership, which is unusual for a young man," Anderson said. ”
In 2016, the 18-year-old Ben White made his senior debut for Brighton in the Carabao Cup against Colchester. At the age of 19, he was loaned out to League Two side Newport. Half a year later, he was called "our best loan signing ever" by Newport's then-head coach Michael Flynn. A year later, he won League Two's Player of the Year.
"He was a humble and courteous lad with a first-class attitude, with the ability to read competitions beyond his years, and he was very accurate in judging whether to speed up or slow down." "He will show up at the training ground on time and take the initiative to stay and practice. There are also times when I slip away after a game to visit my family on the South Coast. ”
Yes, whether playing football or living, Ben White always has his own rhythm.
On 7 January 2017, Ben White shone in the third round of the FA Cup, helping Newport beat Leeds United 2-1 at home, the first time Newport had advanced to the fourth round of the FA Cup since the 1978-79 season. In the fourth round against Tottenham, he led the team to a stubborn draw with Tottenham, giving the team a chance to replay.
After the game, the headline "Kane is rigidly restrained by League Two defenders" was overwhelming, which made Ben White's shine a little difficult to hide. In the face of the rush of opportunities, Ben White's first criterion for selection was to be able to play.
In the summer window of the 2017-18 season, Pochettino, who was held to a draw, wanted to buy Ben White. After considering the positions of Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Eric Dier and the newly joined Da Vinci Sanchez, Ben White felt that he had no chance to play, so he directly said "no", stayed at Brighton for half a season in the new season, and then joined Peterborough United on loan.
In the summer window of the 2019-20 season, the victorious Bielsa wanted to ask for a loan from Ben White. After considering Leeds' crumbling defence and Bielsa's ability to bring young players, Ben White made the decisive decision to go to Leeds United.
Under Bielsa, Ben White and Leeds United's styles complemented each other perfectly. You know, Leeds is a team that emphasizes crazy attacking and scrutinizing, and "throwing the king in front and leaving the single in the back" is basically a corporate culture, so Ben White's general demeanor, ball ability and timing are all valuable qualities like gold.
After 1vs N forging (folding) and refining (grinding) again and again, Ben White quickly entered the ranks of teenagers and old adults. In the 2019/20 season, Ben White led Leeds United to the Championship title with friends such as Phillips and Bamford, and he himself was named in the Championship Team of the Year.
Leeds were ready to go in front of goal in the Premier League, and Bielsa, of course, wanted to keep them in the defensive line, so they approached Brighton for Ben White at the end of the season. Seagull glanced at the quotation and rejected it in seconds. Report again, refuse. Three reports, three rejections. And the three times are the kind that don't give a chance at all, and even Liu Bei has never touched such a wall when he goes to the thatched house......
How to say, with Brighton's set of big data, it has long been clear that Ben White is a golden egg, or left for his own use, or a direct sales giant, how can Leeds be allowed to be a middleman. So in the 2020-21 season, the 23-year-old Ben White returned to Brighton and appeared in the Premier League.
In head coach Graham Potter's testing field, Ben White was pinched into various shapes. He can play as a double and three centre-backs, as well as as a full-back and right wing-back, and once at the back. Because his skills can support the positioning of the ball point in the backfield, he can use long passes to transfer in the depths of his own penalty area, he can also advance the ball all the way to the center circle, and even take the initiative to attract opponents to surround and create space for teammates.
No matter what role he was assigned to, Ben White worked hard to adapt and did not complain. In his first season back at Brighton, he was named the best player in the team. At this time, Ben White is no longer a little-known minion, and his evaluation has become - a new generation of central defenders with the British ball, an all-round player who can be a midfielder, a technical coffee in the double central defender system, and a living ancestor in the three central defender system.
At the end of the season, Ben White was named in England's squad for the European Championships before ...... Didn't play a minute. There is no way, that England central defender is an iron combination of Stones and Maguire, Ben White can't compete, and the right wing-back, Southgate brought four in one go, Walker, Trippier, Alexander-Arnold, Reece James, and played mahjong at right-back, and it was not Ben White's turn to play.
Although he is not reused in the England team, the Premier League teams know his value. In the summer window of 2021, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United were all rumored to have scandals with him, and he finally chose Arsenal.
On July 30, 2021, Ben White appeared at the Emirates Stadium wearing a red and white jersey.
In a later interview, Ben White said: "I always stay somewhere for a while and then leave right away, and I've never been able to stay on the same team for two seasons in a row [as an adult]. ”
'In pre-season in my first season at Arsenal, I suddenly realised that I was going to be here for a long, long time. ”
Excellent workers in the factory
After entering the factory, Arteta also changed Ben White in a number of jobs.
In the 2021-22 season, Ben White and Gabriel played in two centre-backs, showing his passing vision. Once Saliba was in the main force, he was moved to full-back, alternating with Zinchenko as a midfielder. In the 2022-23 season, he completely put down roots at right-back and was given a large number of forward assists.
As a centre-back, Ben White doesn't have Walker's sheer speed, the precision of Alexander-Arnold or Kieran Trippier's crosses, and the size and impact of Reece James. But Arsenal fans have always been quite tolerant of Ben White, after all, this is a team that has seen Klich deliver crosses to the opposite corner flag and Sagna have more than 100 consecutive crosses without an assist, and some have the patience to grow their own players.
But everyone never expected Ben White to adapt to his new role so quickly. In the 2020-21 season, Ben White threatened 13 times in 32 league games, completing 83 per cent of his passes and failing to create a goal. As of the 27th round of the league this season, Ben White has delivered 2 goals, 4 assists, 23 dangerous passes, and the pass success rate has also increased to 87%.
What's more, since joining Arsenal, he has never conceded a ball due to a mistake in the return pass or a direct break at his feet, and although the position has been changed, the defense has always been stable and terrible.
For Ben White like this, the famous Arsenal fan magazine "Gooner" commented:
"If the perfect score is 10, Ben White will rarely perform below 7. ”
"He's a fan's dream. ”
Obviously, this is not easy.
Arteta said, "Ben trains every day like he's going to a Champions League final and is willing to push his limits. ”
- The stats show that Ben White is the player with the most cuts in the Premier League in 2022-23.
Ben-White describes his own progress very simply.
"It's my job to open up space for Saqqara. I'm going to do more runs for Saka and try to make him shine more. ”
'I've done this 10 times and we're likely to score. Even if he doesn't score, the opposition winger needs to run back to defend, and that attrition will make Saka even sharper in attack. ”
Well, Ben White's approach to right-back is ...... All for Saka. This dedication has made Ben White and Bukayo Saka a special pair on the right flank, to the point where fans are calling for him to be reused in England for the sake of Saka.
So in the 2022 World Cup, Southgate brought Ben White to Qatar and then ...... He didn't play for another minute. The day after the end of the group stage in England, Ben White suddenly left the team and flew back to England, and the England team claimed that it was his personal reason, but various revelations showed that the fuse was the quarrel between him and Steve Holland, who said that he came to England to "make up the numbers".
This is a bit of a bully for honest people.
I can do whatever I want
Having never played in two major tournaments, combined with a conflict with an assistant coach, Ben White turned down England's call-up in March, which also meant that he basically said goodbye to Euro 2024.
For this choice, those who are familiar with him are not surprised. Because Ben White has said in an interview before, "A lot of players can fit the ball 24 hours a day, 7 days, but I can't. I'm willing to put all my focus on training and games, and I don't want to spend a minute on football. ”
"I don't like to watch football on TV. For me, being on the pitch every day and trying to be the best version of myself is what I really love about football. ”
"I don't want to stay in football in any capacity after my playing career, I might follow in my father's footsteps and become a good gardener. ”
"I will maintain 100% concentration during the time I clock in and out, make changes according to the boss's requirements, adapt to various jobs, and have super high ability and professionalism, but after work, I will block all work information, and I want to rest at ease." If the boss appreciates it, I will give myself, but if the boss says I am making up the numbers...... I'm sorry, but I don't want to go to any national team, I just want to grow vegetables and flowers. ”
Yes, growing up, football has never been Ben White's belief, he is just an ordinary worker who happens to have football as a career. For Ben White like this, Arsenal fans said: Of course we are - support!
He can quickly adapt to different positions and teammates' abilities, can command calmly and calmly, is good at cooperating, can integrate any tactics, has super mental attributes, is always on the scene when the coach needs people, and basically does not get injured after playing for two seasons...... Such an iron man, with a household registration book, can he not do without, and can rest on the national break? In the realm of football, where can you find such a heavenly choice of workers!
On March 14, 2024, Arsenal announced a contract extension with Ben White until 2028.
After renewing his contract, he sent two tweets:
'It was an easy choice, I didn't want to play for a team other than Arsenal. ”
"Thank you Arsenal. This is my home. ”
That's Ben White, he loves football, just not as fanatical, and he knows what he really wants at all times. His former Brighton team-mate Dunk once said of him: "I've never heard any complaints about Ben. I always say that he will end up on the back cover of the newspaper, not on the front page, because that's how he expresses himself best. ”
As a result, he became a frank gardener, a conscientious worker, and the only difference between him and ordinary people was that he happened to have a talent for football. Maybe decades from now, we'll still see him at the Emirates Stadium. At that time, the guide will introduce the children from afar:
"Look at that honest lawn caretaker over there, Ben White, my factory name. In his life, he can do whatever he wants~~"