New England manager Thomas Tuchel will speak to Ben White and offer the Arsenal defender a “clean start” when he takes charge in the new year.
White has not played for his country since he left England’s 2022 World Cup squad during the Qatar tournament, despite impressing for the Gunners.
Gareth Southgate could not convince the 27-year-old to end his international exile, and White did not return under interim boss Lee Carsley either.
But Tuchel, who attended the World Cup qualifying draw in Zurich before taking charge on January 1, has said he will try to speak to White.
“I will reach out to him. It should be a clean start and a clear narrative,” Tuchel told reporters in Zurich.
“I will be in the stadiums from January. I will also not distract the players and they should just know: ‘Okay, the boss is there from January’.”
White is currently sidelined after undergoing a knee operation last month, but the right back has been a near ever-present for Mikel Arteta as Arsenal have competed for the Premier League title.
Tuchel’s offer of a “clean start” to White may also offer encouragement to the likes of Marcus Rashford, James Maddison and Jadon Sancho, who fell out of favour under Southgate.
England will play Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra in Tuchel’s first games in charge as the road to World Cup 2026 begins.
The German has signed an 18-month contract through to the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
