New England manager Thomas Tuchel will take charge of the Three Lions for the first time next month and has held talks with Arsenal star Ben White, ahead of naming his first England squad.
Tuchel began his role as the new England head coach at the beginning of the year and will be in the dugout for home matches against Albania and Latvia to kickstart England’s World Cup qualifying campaign.
The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager is now set to name his first selection and have reportedly reached out to a number of stars, as he gathers an overview of the nation’s best players. Tuchel has been spotted in various Premier League games and has talked to players and made video calls.
Latest report from the Telegraph have now claimed contact has been made with Arsenal defender Ben White.
White has not played for England since March 2022. The Arsenal defender left England’s Qatar World Cup camp later that year before later asking not to be considered by Gareth Southgate.
Ben White of England looks on during the England Training Session at Al Wakrah Stadium on November 26, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Making contact with White has seen Tuchel follow through on commitment to a fresh start. Speaking after England’s World Cup qualification draw, the 51-year-old confirmed he would reach out to England’s exiles.
Tuchel said: “Yes. I will reach out to him [White]. It should be clean and a clean start and a clear narrative. It starts from January. I will be in the stadiums from January. I will also not distract the players and they should just know, ‘OK, the boss is there from January.’
“Then I will of course try to speak to them, but also be respectful to the schedule that they have, because schedule is busy in January, especially in the Premier League.”
White has been out of action since November after undergoing knee surgery but made his much anticipated comeback against West Ham on Saturday.
The 27-year-old came off the bench against West Ham in his team’s shocking 1-0 loss. It’s left to be seen if White will be eager to play under Tuchel or will continue his exile from the national team.
