What a difference 16 months have made for Arsenal defender Ben White.
Ahead of last summer's European Championships, he was coming off his first season in the Premier League with Brighton and was part of Gareth Southgate's plans for the pre-tournament friendlies, earning cap number one and two in the 1-0 wins over Austria and Romania.
However, if it was not for Trent Alexander-Arnold needing to be replaced in the final 26-man party because of injury, then White would not have been part of the squad that reached the Euro 2020 final and perhaps his £50m transfer to Arsenal will have been completed earlier.
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Still, the 25-year-old's first experience of a major tournament - from a playing perspective - was rather forgettable. Not only did he not make a single appearance, but he was only named in a matchday squad on two occasions, and they were the group stage games against Croatia and the Czech Republic.
Of course, the reason for White being left out so often is very straightforward. Due to England - and every other nation - being permitted to name a 23-man squad for each matchday, it meant the defender found himself as one of three unlucky players when everyone was fit and available for selection.
But things are different for the 2022 World Cup, and it's beneficial for White. Despite a debate concerning whether he would be called up, he has been rewarded for his excellent form for Arsenal this season after being shifted to right back amid the return of William Saliba from a loan spell with Marseille.
And although he wasn't handed a start in the Three Lions' opening game against Iran, the Gunners defender was named in the matchday squad and, provided he stays fit for the duration of his time in Qatar, a repeat of what happened to him five times at Euro 2020 is off the table.
This is because back in June, FIFA announced that unlike at the Euros, for the World Cup, all 26 players will be included in a matchday squad, so three will not have to miss out on selection: "The number of players to be included on the final list has been increased to at least 23 and a maximum of 26," the statement reads.
So with White guaranteed to benefit from the rule change as he should make every matchday squad at the very least. He is also in line to make an appearance at this tournament, even though he was an unused substitute in their opener against Iran. England manager Gareth Southgate has already revealed that he plans to rotate his players during the group stage.
"We are managing the training sessions individually for every player, so they all get across the line," he told reporters. "So we have had to push them for a couple of days, get them used to the heart, and then for the last couple of days come right off them, so they taper for the game.
"We will have to continue to do that through the tournament, and that is where the squad is so important. There is a slightly condensed programme in the first four days, and we have to make sure we take advantage of the squad we have got."
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