Ben White stands by decision to leave World Cup camp and insists he isn't bothered about England fans' boos

White refuses to detail his 2022 World Cup exit but says he'd make the same decision again; insists fan boos don't bother him.

Ben White has broken his silence on his controversial departure from England's World Cup camp in Qatar in 2022, though he stopped short of revealing the full story. The Arsenal defender, who made himself unavailable for selection until this year, told talkSPORT he stands by the decision despite never publicly explaining his reasons.

"It's something I haven't spoken about, and I won't go into detail about it," White said. "It wasn't an ideal situation but it's probably one I would still make."

White acknowledged that communication issues played a role and refused to blame anyone involved, saying he didn't want to "throw anyone under the bus." He addressed the backlash from England fans who booed him on his return to the squad under Thomas Tuchel in March, saying the reaction didn't trouble him.

"The booing's fine, I've had it before. It wasn't something that bothered me too much," he explained, adding that fans likely wouldn't have reacted negatively if they knew the full circumstances.

Tuchel has publicly backed White and urged supporters to move on from the incident, calling it "a closed book." White praised the manager's efforts in convincing him to return, saying Tuchel's personal outreach made all the difference. He is now set to feature in upcoming Nations League matches against Croatia and Spain.