Declan Rice Aims to Persuade Arsenal Teammate Ben White for England Return

 

Declan Rice, the England midfielder, expressed his intention to convince his Arsenal teammate Ben White to reconsider his decision of making himself unavailable for the England national team.

Declan Rice, the captain of the England football team for their upcoming match against Belgium, expressed his intention to convince his Arsenal teammate, Ben White, to reconsider his decision of making himself unavailable for the national squad.

White, who had been sought after by Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate for the recent friendlies against Brazil and Belgium, conveyed through Arsenal's sporting director, Edu, his unwillingness to be considered for selection.

While Southgate remains uncertain about the exact motives behind White's withdrawal, he dismissed speculations of any rift between the 26-year-old defender and assistant coach Steve Holland.

Rice, though uninformed about White's rationale, asserted his plan to engage in a discussion with the former Brighton player, aiming to persuade him to rejoin the England squad.

"We had a few days off before we came away so I haven’t seen him," Rice stated regarding White's decision. "When I go back I’ll speak to him and see, but hopefully he does change his mind on that."

Expressing his belief in White's potential contribution, Rice emphasized, "Because having a player like that in the squad who’s performing well in the Premier League, it’d be a great addition to the squad."

Rice further elaborated on White's character and abilities, stating, "If you know him as a person and as a player like I do, he’s such a good guy. He’s such a good guy and he’s an unbelievable footballer."

Acknowledging the situation, Rice remarked, "It’s hard to know what’s going on. Obviously Ben made this decision, obviously doesn’t want to play for England at this moment in time."

Nevertheless, Rice reiterated the significance of representing England, expressing hope for White's return, stating, "Playing for England, it’s the greatest honour you could ever have. Hopefully with the quality he can bring to this side we can get him back in."