Former Brighton & Hove Albion academy manager John Morling says Ben White serves as a prime example of how well the loan system can be utilised.
Brighton pounced once White was released by Southampton at the age of 16 to beat Bristol City and Leicester City to his signature in 2014. White penned his first professional contract in 2016 and climbed the footballing ladder with loan spells at Newport County in League One, and then Peterborough United in 2019.
After impressing with his performances in the lower divisions, White joined Marcelo Bielsa's squad at Leeds ahead of the 2019-20 season. He played every single game for the Whites as they ended their 16-year absence from the Premier League by lifting the Championship title.
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He was named Leeds' Young Player of the Season and was also included in the PFA Championship Team of the Year. Morling insists each of his loan spells added something to his game and transformed him into a player capable of competing in the Premier League.
“Ben went through three loans while he was with us and they worked perfectly. He went to Newport County first, with Mike Flynn and Lennie Lawrence, then Peterborough with Steve Evans, and then Leeds with Marcelo Bielsa," Morling told Training Ground Guru.
“Each of those loans added something to his game and when he came back to us (in 2020/21) he was ready for Premier League football. All of the staff at those clubs have all had an input into his development.
"For Brighton, there were a lot of judgements to be made. Should he go out on loan or remain at the club? If on loan, what type of club and manager should he go to at each stage of his journey?”
White opted not to convert his loan into a permanent deal at Elland Road, and returned to Brighton where he would enjoy his breakthrough season in the Premier League.
The defender played 36 times in the league for Brighton and was named in Gareth Southgate's squad for Euro 2020 as a replacement for the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold.
After the tournament, White joined Arsenal for £50 million and has become a key player in the Gunners' Premier League title race this term. He has been transformed since switching to right-back under Mikel Arteta and has started 21 of their 22 league matches in the current campaign.
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