"An old decision": England legend calls for Arsenal star to be banned for life

Chris Waddle, the former England international, has called for a lifetime ban preventing Ben White from representing his country, following the former Arsenal defender's absence from the national team.

Speaking to iGaming.com, Waddle tore into England manager Thomas Tuchel for calling up the 29-year-old, arguing that players who snub international duty should never get another chance.

He continued: "There may be a shortage of full-backs, but when someone refuses to play for his country, as Ben White did at Euro 2024, that is a lifetime ban as far as I am concerned."

Any player who refuses to represent England, he added, should carry a permanent asterisk next to his name.

White ended his self-imposed international exile in March 2026, accepting Tuchel's call-up for two friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.

The defender has since returned to the England squad for the November Nations League matches against Croatia and Spain.

Tuchel never shies away from a bold call. His England squad for the clashes with Croatia and Spain left out several prominent names who have been fixtures in the Three Lions' plans, and the fallout threatens a storm in English football circles.

Supporters were stunned. The German dropped Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Kobbie Mainoo and Nico O'Reilly for technical and tactical reasons, reshuffling his pack to push on with his project even at the cost of parting with some of the biggest stars in the English game.

Palmer's omission stung most. Tuchel opted not to use the Chelsea man during the current international break, while Foden, Mainoo and O'Reilly also missed the cut.

There was brighter news elsewhere. Tuchel handed a first call-up to Fulham midfielder Josh King and to Jobe Bellingham, the Borussia Dortmund star and younger brother of Jude Bellingham, who is also in the squad.

Leading the senior names are Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Harry Kane and Trent Alexander-Arnold, alongside the likes of Elliot Anderson, Morgan Rogers, Adam Wharton and Rio Ngumoha, part of Tuchel's bid to blood new faces and sharpen competition for places.

Those picks come with a long absentee list, most notably Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Tino Livramento and Alex Scott. Their absence has handed a handful of newcomers a chance in the senior shirt.

Drop names of Palmer and Foden's calibre, then hand debuts to young talents yet to feature, and the message is clear. Tuchel isn't picking England on reputation. He's picking on his technical vision and the demands of the next stage.