Ben White has sent a message of thanks to Arsenal fans following his premature return to the club.
The 25-year-old defender travelled to Qatar a month ago to be part of England 's World Cup squad. But shortly after the Three Lions advanced from the group stage, White made his way home for 'personal reasons' and the same statement from the FA confirmed that he wouldn't return. One report emerged a week later claiming that the £50million centre-back had been embroiled in a bust-up with England boss Gareth Southgate 's assistant, Steve Holland.
Promptly joining up with the Arsenal squad on a warm-weather training camp in Dubai, White played 45 minutes in the Gunners' 2-1 friendly victory over Italian giants AC Milan. But it's his work from before the Gunners broke off for the World Cup that has prompted him to get in touch with supporters, as he was named as the club's player of the month for November.
Having played a key role in helping Arsenal win back-to-back Premier League games away to Chelsea and Wolves, the former Brighton & Hove Albion prodigy helped put the Gunners top of the table by five points prior to the break. White's role in three successive wins and clean sheets, including the Europa League victory over Zurich, saw him amply rewards for his efforts.
And the No.4 clearly appreciated the fans' backing. "Hiya guys. I just wanted to give you a quick message and say thank you so much for voting for me for Player of the Month," White said in video posted via Arsenal's social media channels on Friday. "I really appreciate it and I'm so thankful for the support you've shown me this season and every game."
There's also been support from within the Emirates dressing room, with manager Mikel Arteta heaping praise on White's character in the wake of his return to the Gunners setup. "We're very pleased to have him back. Everybody has been giving him a lot of support and love which is what he needed," Arteta explained.
"We know the reasons he had to leave the camp, and we’re delighted to have him back and have him in good shape." Probed on the unconfirmed reason behind White's departure from Qatar, the Spaniard added: "I know who Ben is, what he needs and what his character is and how happy we all are to have him at the club."
Arsenal face Juventus at the Emirates in another friendly on Saturday and White is expected to feature once more. The Gunners are then back in Premier League action at home to West Ham on Boxing Day, with Arteta hoping that the trip to Dubai can prove beneficial for those who haven't been with their countries at the World Cup.
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"We have to raise the standards so part of it has been discussing the things that we are doing really well, and it is not a coincidence the way we have been performing but if we want to challenge at the top, we have to improve certain things," the Gunners boss went on to say.
"We've been lucky because we've brought a lot of kids here, but what they have done is not only maintain the standards, but increase them, so I want to say thank you so much to them. They have been key in this camp to have a successful period in training and compete in the competition."
