According to a report by Metro on Tuesday November 10, 2026, ex-Tottenham winger Chris Waddle has joined the chorus of critics who have voiced their disapproval of Arsenal defender Ben White's decision to play for England again.

White recently provided an explanation for England's controversial decision to not participate in the 2022 World Cup, arguing that fans would have a better understanding of his decision if they were aware of all the circumstances under which he made it.

After what seemed like a falling out with assistant manager Steve Holland, the 29-year-old withdrew from the Qatar tournament for personal reasons. After that, he was unavailable for the rest of Gareth Southgate's tenure.

White did make a triumphant return in March under Thomas Tuchel's tutelage, but the crowd booed his return, and he was subsequently ruled out of the World Cup due to injury.

The Arsenal defender told talkSPORT that he was still at ease with his initial decision, adding that he felt his experience was impacted by communication issues.

"I won't go into detail about it, and I haven't spoken about it," White said. Nobody deserves to have the wheels thrown out of their lives.

In spite of his dissatisfaction with the outcome, he acknowledged that he would likely repeat the same decision given the same set of circumstances.

After a series of setbacks, the defender is eager to get his international career back on track and said that representing England is still an incredible honor.

Comments made by Holland regarding his lack of interest in watching football outside of work allegedly led to White's disagreement with him and exacerbated their already hard relationship.

In a friendly match against Uruguay, his comeback was anything but dull; he scored a goal and then gave up a penalty, much to the boos of some in the crowd.

Nevertheless, Waddle—who won 62 caps for England—vehemently disagrees with White's reinstatement and thinks that turning down an international call-up should have lasting repercussions.

When asked about Ben White's decision to decline playing for his country, the former Tottenham star told iGaming.com: "To me, that's a lifetime ban."

Since White is not assured of consistent playing time at the club level, Waddle questioned Tuchel's choice to bring the Arsenal defender back into the team.

He continued by saying the English fans have every right to be upset and that the players should know the weight of responsibility that comes with playing for their nation.

After considering other defensive options, the former winger came to the conclusion that White's return was superfluous. He found the decision to be very peculiar.