Is Ben White’s England recall the ultimate kick in the teeth for Trent Alexander-Arnold? | OneFootball

Ben White is back in the England fold for the first time since the last World Cup after being called up by Thomas Tuchel in the wake of Jarell Quansah withdrawing from the March international break.

The Arsenal defender hasn’t played for his country in four years, having memorably flown home from England’s 2022 World Cup camp. In 2024, Gareth Southgate explained how White had confirmed he didn’t want to be considered for selection by England.

But in a surprising turn of events, White has been restored to the England squad for their March international friendlies by Southgate’s successor, Thomas Tuchel.

It’s a curious decision for a couple of reasons. Not only did White remove himself from the international picture under Southgate, but he hasn’t even played that regularly for Arsenal this season, with Mikel Arteta preferring to use Jurrien Timber at right-back.

It doesn’t paint a particularly positive picture of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s chances of kickstarting his own England career again under Tuchel.

Alexander-Arnold’s most recent cap for England came back in June – the only time he has played for his nation since heading overseas for his club career by joining Real Madrid.

That decision split opinion due to the nature of him turning his back on his boyhood club, Liverpool. But even his most vocal critics would not have expected him to almost completely fade from the international picture while representing one of the biggest clubs in the world.

True, it hasn’t been plain sailing for Alexander-Arnold in Spain; he has had a couple of injuries in the formative months of his Real Madrid career, while the lingering presence of Dani Carvajal means his role at right-back isn’t a given when he is fit.

But this is a player with a unique skillset who was so effective at his peak for Liverpool. Seeing someone who previously withdrew from contention for England get back into the national team squad before him must be a bitter pill to swallow.

That said, Alexander-Arnold has always been an awkward fit for England. He has gone to two World Cups but only played once at each of them.

Southgate sometimes toyed with the idea of using him as a midfielder, the position he originally played in the Liverpool academy before becoming a right-back at senior level. It seldom looked like it was working.

Now, it appears evident that Tuchel doesn’t have a clear place in his plans for Alexander-Arnold either.

And you can absolutely understand his reticence because Alexander-Arnold has a unique skillset that warrants a team being built around him. And England are already built around Harry Kane.

Liverpool’s drop-off since Alexander-Arnold’s departure can also be partly attributed to this unusual scenario. They built a team around their right-back and have tried to recreate that this season by playing Dominik Szoboszlai there, instead of adjusting and building their team in a different, more orthodox manner.

Liverpool will have to work out the right formula over time in their post-Alexander-Arnold landscape. And Tuchel’s latest decision could be taken as a sign that England are operating in their own post-Alexander-Arnold landscape too.

Tuchel explained earlier this month: “I know very well what Trent can offer us. I played many times against him and suffered when he played against my teams with Liverpool. So I know very well about his strength and what he can give.

“But at the moment it is like we have evidence how good we were in September, October, November, and the players who are in camp for right full-back, they have to push for their ticket, they have to compete, they have to show again that they deserve this.”

The right-backs at Tuchel’s disposal this month – in addition to White – are Tino Livramento and Djed Spence. They are not blessed with international experience so for Alexander-Arnold not to make it into the revised 35-man list – why replacements needed to be called up for an already expanded squad list is another matter in itself – speaks volumes.

All might not be lost, though. Alexander-Arnold could merely be a victim of circumstance. Remember, the player being replaced by White in the current squad is Quansah: naturally a centre-back, who was also being considered as a right-back option.

This is a World Cup year. In times of major tournaments, utility players take on extra value. White can cover right-back and centre-back, arguably even more naturally than Quansah.

Meanwhile, Trent is only really an option for one position he does not play in an orthodox fashion. So a door that Tuchel insisted remained open for Alexander-Arnold has been used by White instead.

At 27, Alexander-Arnold’s international career is not necessarily over. But missing this last chance to get to grips with Tuchel’s tactics before the summer is a sign that any dream of going to a third consecutive World Cup may now be dead and buried. Though the reincarnation of White shows that the stone can always be unexpectedly rolled away from the entrance.