Thomas Tuchel at the World Cup group stage draw
Thomas Tuchel attended the draw for the European stage of World Cup 2026 qualifying in Zurich and answered questions about Ben White
Although there was something of a clamour for Thomas Tuchel to rock up at the draw for the European qualifying stage of World Cup 2026, he was never going to say much.
What can he say? Looking forward to getting started, not an easy draw, Happy Christmas, auf wiedersehen. But when he was asked about Ben White, Tuchel replied: “Yes, I will reach out to him.”
Now, this might have just been a polite answer or the first thing that came into his head - and Tuchel's insistence that he would be starting with a clean slate is fair enough - but why would an England manager reach out to White?
This is what Lee Carsley said when he was asked about the subject during his time as interim boss. “Every player that is eligible to play for England is in with a chance. As far as I am aware, he asked not to be contacted. If that changes, that will change.”
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White asked not to be contacted, which makes this a fairly simple situation. With regard to the chances of White adding to his four caps - earned in four forgettable friendlies - the next move is with the player himself.
In other words, it is down to White to reach out, not Tuchel. The 27-year-old Arsenal defender left the England camp in Qatar in 2022 after a falling-out with Steve Holland, Gareth Southgate’s assistant.
Since then, he has made himself unavailable for selection, it seems. Intermittently, the previous permanent England manager was asked about him but it was not as though White was sorely missed by Southgate.
MIDDLESBROUGH, ENGLAND - JUNE 02: Gareth Southgate, Head Coach of England and Ben White of England interact during the international friendly match between England and Austria at Riverside Stadium on June 02, 2021 in Middlesbrough, England.
Ben White won four caps under Gareth Southgate - including this one against Austria in Middlesbrough in 2021 - but fell out with the England coaching regime during the World Cup in Qatar
It is Ben White, after all. It is not Jude Bellingham, or Harry Kane, or Declan Rice. It is Ben White. Versatile player, good player, squad player. There are many patriots who would say that once you have turned down the opportunity to play for your country, you should never be allowed to play for your country again.
But those principles would be tested if it was a world-beater, rather than White, who had turned down a cap. There are some players that would be worth shedding principles for - White would not be one of them.
But when it comes to those principles, the lines can be a little blurred. White did not announce his retirement from international football. Clearly, he just did want to play for the Southgate-Holland regime.
And so, he has missed a host of England games that he was available to play in. But there were players who did not show up to the last England camp even though they would probably have been fit to play.
Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham both spoke out over the number of England players who did not turn up for duty at the last Three Lions camp in November
And from the way Kane and Bellingham spoke about that situation, it won’t be forgotten by them. “The lads who showed up were amazing,” said Bellingham, pointedly, after the 3-0 win in Greece last month.
Is not turning up for national duty because you want to make sure you are fit for club duty a crime that should mean you can never be picked for England? Clearly not. But while White’s case is different, it could be argued - at a stretch - that personal circumstances were fundamental to White’s unavailability.
And in that case, White should not be forbidden from ever representing England again. But it is not for Tuchel to go begging to White - it is for White to go cap-in-hand to Tuchel.
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