Ben White reveals his family don't like football

Forum 1 year ago

Ben White reveals his family don't like football

Arsenal defender Ben White has revealed that none of his family are interested in football and even went as far as saying his dad ‘hates’ it. It is a bizarre juxtaposition when White is one of English football’s most expensive ever players and a genuine success story in the game.

White has previously spoken about his own strange relationship with football, admitting last year that he loves playing but rarely, if ever, watches games for pleasure and never did growing up.

Now, the 24-year-old England international has offered up a possible explanation as to why, explaining that football was not something he grew up with much exposure to at home.

“It's weird because my family don't like football. They've never played it. Dad hates it. He would never, ever watch a game,” White told Amazon Prime Video.

The first person who got him into football was a client of his mum’s hairdressing business.

“It was actually someone who my mum used to cut hair for. She would come out in the garden with me and she would get in goal and I would boot the ball at her. That's where it all started, really,” he said. I don't think I was ever talented, like 'special'. I've just worked so much harder than everyone else.”

White started Arsenal’s opening game of the Premier League at right-back in the absence of Takehiro Tomiyasu, and favoured ahead of Cedric Soares. Having also previously been utilised in a defensive midfield role by former club Brighton, he played on the right a handful of times for Arsenal last season, while William Saliba has offered an additional central option for manager Mikel Arteta.