Former Leeds United star Ben White makes return after boss comment on alleged England 'bust up'

Ex Leeds ace White was part of England’s World Cup squad in Qatar but the defender left the camp and returned home after the group stages. A statement released by England at the time explained that White had returned home for personal reasons and that the Arsenal defender was not expected to return to the squad for the remainder of the tournament. England asked that the player’s privacy was respected at this moment in time.

A report by the Daily Star on Friday then claimed that White had returned home following an ‘alleged bust-up with assistant boss Steve Holland.’ The report claimed that White initially ‘became unhappy in the England camp and struggled to mix with his fellow team-mates.’ The Daily Star claim that the "the final straw came when he had a fall out with Gareth Southgate's No2 Holland in front of the rest of the squad."

Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate was asked about the story ahead of Saturday night's last eight clash against France and quickly dismissed the claims by giving those suggestions short shrift. Asked if he could elaborate on the story, Southgate told talkSPORT: “Well, not really. What I’ve been shown was alleged and there was another word that was used. I think by commenting on the story I could be giving it any form of credibility, really. We explained why Ben left the camp and I think it’s important that that is respected, really.”

Eleven days after leaving the England camp, White is now back in training with club side Arsenal who are on a tour of Dubai as they prepare for the return to Premier League action after the World Cup. Arsenal play AC Milan in a friendly on Tuesday.