- Arsenal defender Ben White was booed by the Wembley crowd during England’s friendly against Uruguay on Friday night.
- White, who came on for Fikayo Tomori in the 69th minute, was making his first appearance for the national team since leaving the World Cup early in 2022.
- He did not confirm the reason behind his premature exit from the tournament, but then-England boss Gareth Southgate subsequently stated that White told him he did not want to be considered for selection.
- Thomas Tuchel recalled White earlier this week after Jarell Quansah pulled out of his initial squad due to injury, and the England head coach insisted White deserves to be given a second chance.
- However, the boos turned to cheers on the 81st minute when he scored the opening goal, tapping home from close range after a corner. In what was an eventful game for the Arsenal defender, he gave away a penalty in stoppage time which saw Federico Valverde equalise for the visitors.