England manager Thomas Tuchel has expressed his intention to “reach out” to Arsenal defender Ben White regarding a potential return to the national team.
White left England’s 2022 World Cup camp in Qatar after the group stage due to personal reasons. The 27-year-old has made four appearances for the Three Lions, with his most recent being in March 2022.
Tuchel, who was appointed as England manager in October, succeeding Gareth Southgate, will officially begin his role on January 1.
“I will reach out to him,” Tuchel stated. “It should be a fresh start with a clear narrative.”
“I will be attending matches from January onwards. I won’t distract the players, but they should know that the boss will be there from January.”
England’s 2026 World Cup qualifying group was revealed on Friday, and they will face Serbia, Albania, Latvia, and Andorra.
In March, Southgate revealed that White, who can play as both a centre-back and right-back, had made himself unavailable for selection.
White is currently recovering from knee surgery, with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta confirming in November that he will be sidelined for several months.
‘I will give everything’ – Tuchel Thomas Tuchel smiling.
Thomas Tuchel won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2020-21.
Tuchel is the third non-British permanent manager of England’s men’s team, following in the footsteps of Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.
The 51-year-old has won trophies at each of his past four managerial roles, including Borussia Dortmund, Paris St-Germain, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich.
However, his appointment has received mixed reactions, as he aims to deliver England’s first piece of silverware since 1966.
“Of course, [the reaction] will always be mixed,” Tuchel said.
“I now need to prove myself, and to those who may have doubts, I want to show them how much this means to me. It’s a dream job, and I will give everything to prove I’m the right person for the role.”