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Sat 18 June 2022 | 13:30

Top facts about Ben White, Benny Blanco

Arsenal star Ben White has gone on to establish himself as one of the most consistent center-halves in the division with a rocky start to the season. Read on to find out more facts about Ben White.

Benjamin William White (born 8 October 1997) is an English professional footballer who currently plays as a center-back for

Arsenal

in the Premier League and for the England national team.

Ben White’s age

is 24. Here you can find out the most important facts about Ben White, the youngster.

White made his professional club debut in 2016 at the age of 18 with Brighton & Hove Albion. Between 2016 and 2019, he had loan spells with Newport County, Peterborough United, and Leeds United.

An important fact about Ben White is that he went on to play in all four of England's professional divisions, winning the Championship with Leeds. After a season at Brighton, White became Arsenal's most expensive defender in a club record £50 million signing in 2021.

At the age of 23, White earned his senior international debut for England and was included to the 26-man team for UEFA Euro 2020.

Ben White has registered more clean sheets than any other English Premier League center-backs this season.

Top facts about Ben White:

The 24-year-old started his career as a young player with

Southampton

and then moved on to Brighton and Hove Albion, where he joined the first squad.

He had several loan stints away from the south coast club, including one at Leeds United in the 2019-20 season, before signing a lucrative deal with Arsenal in the summer of 2021.

Ben White early life

Speaking about

Ben White’s childhood

, it is worth mentioning that he was born in Poole, England, on October 8, 1997, to Carole and Barry White. Regarding

Ben White’s parents

, it should be mentioned that they have always encouraged him as he began playing football when he was a child.

"We've been to every game of Ben's since he was four years old, through the Southampton academy, then Brighton academy games, then loans at Newport and Peterborough," Ben's father Barry remarked in an interview with The Athletic in 2019. “That's what we're good at."

Meanwhile, Ben acknowledges that he has been lucky to have his parents' complete support throughout his career.

In the same interview with The Athletic in 2019, Ben said, "I am incredibly blessed. Not many of the guys I've played with had their mothers and fathers doing this for them every week. I appreciate it. I couldn't ask for a greater set of parents."

Ben White personal life

Arsenal and England defender Ben White was reported to date stunner Milly Adams in the beginning of 2022. The £50million ace, 24, went public with the Instagram model, 25, from Hertfordshire, with the pair posting pictures of themselves holding hands on their individual accounts.

Former Brighton defender Ben's distinctive hand tattoos confirmed his identity, and it is believed the loved-up couple have been in a relationship for several months.

Ben, who joined Arsenal last summer, posted a photo to his followers on Instagram that showed him holding hands with girlfriend Milly. The Nottingham Trent graduate shared a similar image to her profile, displaying the footballer's distinctive 1959 tattoo and her manicured nails that included a B initial in tribute to her man.

However, in January, Ben was pictured snogging a 'mystery' woman at a Dubai pool party during a break from the Premier League. The unnamed beauty, who had a large tattoo on her leg, shared the steamy kiss with Ben at Dubai's exclusive hotel FIVE Palm Jumeirah.

Ben White professional career

White joined Arsenal in July 2021 and rapidly established himself as a regular first-team player for the north London club.

Ben White club career

An important

fact about Ben White

is that he began his childhood career with Southampton, where he stayed for eight years until being discharged at the age of 16.

Following interest from Bristol City and

Leicester City

, where he first joined their academy, he was signed by Brighton & Hove Albion.

Brighton & Hove Albion

White was an unused substitute in the 2016–17 season's opening league match, a 0–0 draw away to Derby County on August 6, 2016.

White made his professional football debut three days later, on August 9, in a 4–0 home win against Colchester United in the first round of the EFL Cup.

In the next three league games, White was an unused replacement against Nottingham Forest, Rotherham United, and Reading.

His second appearance for Brighton came in the EFL Cup's following round, when he played the whole match away against Oxford United on August 23, which Brighton won 4–2. On March 18, 2017, White was once again an unused replacement, this time against Leeds United.

White also made three appearances in the EFL Trophy before Brighton U21s were knocked out in the third round by Coventry City.

An important fact about Ben White is that he signed a new long-term contract deal at Brighton in April 2018, after being linked with a transfer to

Tottenham Hotspur

after originally rejecting a new contract offer at Brighton.

Former Brighton manager Chris Hughton announced at the start of the 2018–19 season that White would be the club's fourth-choice center-back after Lewis Dunk, Shane Duffy, and Leon Balogun.

White, on the other hand, was a regular for the Brighton U23s. In the Premier League 2 Division 1 on November 26, 2018, he set up three goals to enable Brighton U23s come back from a 2–0 deficit to defeat

Swansea City

U23s 3–2.

On December 8, 2018, White was named to the Premier League bench for the first time, as Brighton lost 1–0 away to Burnley. White remained an afterthought.

White signed a new four-year deal with Brighton on September 1, 2020, after months of uncertainty about his future, including Brighton rejecting three permanent offers for White from Leeds.

White made his league debut for Brighton, as well as his Premier League debut, in a 3–1 home defeat to Chelsea on the opening day of the 2020–21 season, when he went off injured.

In Brighton's next league encounter, a 3–0 away victory against Newcastle on September 20, he assisted in keeping a clean sheet. On January 10, 2021, White was a part of Brighton's FA Cup third round penalty shootout triumph against his previous side Newport.

On 3 February, White scored a goal in Brighton's 1–0 away triumph against reigning champions Liverpool, giving them their first league victory at Anfield since 1982.

On April 20, following a great performance, White was sent off in the 90+2-minute for a second bookable offence, in a game in which he helped Brighton secure their first ever point at Chelsea, a 0–0 draw.

On 18 May, he participated in Brighton's 3–2 home triumph against champions

Manchester City

, with supporters returning to football after a 2–0 deficit.

It was the first time they had beaten City in the league since 1989. White was named Player Of The Season on June 6, the same day as his first England start, after a good season breaking into the first squad.

Newport County

White joined League Two team Newport County on loan until the end of the 2017–18 season on August 1, 2017, in what manager Michael Flynn termed as a "huge coup for the club."

On August 8, 2017, White made his EFL Cup debut for Newport in a 2–0 win against Southend United in the first round.

On August 12, 2017, he made his Football League debut in a 1–1 tie against Crewe Alexandra. White scored his first Football League goal for Newport against Barnet in a 2–1 home loss on November 21, 2017.

An important fact about Ben White is that he made his FA Cup third-round debut for Newport on January 7, 2018, in a 2–1 home victory against Championship club Leeds United in the FA Cup third round, ensuring Newport's first FA Cup fourth-round appearance since 1978–79.

Newport was drawn at home in the next round against Tottenham Hotspur of the Premier League. On January 27, 2018, White began the match as Newport drew 1–1 with Tottenham to force a rematch at Wembley Stadium, where White was hailed for his performance against

Harry Kane

.

White was named the South Wales Argus Player of the Year for the 2017–18 season on March 15, 2018. Manager Michael Flynn lauded White as "the finest loan signing the club has ever made" during the awards presentation.

Peterborough United

White joined League One team Peterborough United on loan until the end of the season on 3 January 2019. He made his Peterborough debut on January 5, 2019, in a 5–0 FA Cup third-round defeat to Middlesbrough.

In 12 January, White made his debut appearance at the London Road Stadium, coming on in the 88th minute to replace Joe Ward in a 2–1 victory over Rochdale.

On March 23, 2019, White scored his first goal for Peterborough – and his first in League One – as he scored the second goal in a 2–0 home victory against Southend United.

An important

fact about Ben White

is that he appeared in the season's last game, which Peterborough won 3–1 at home against Burton Albion.

The Posh, though, narrowly lost out on a play-off position as Doncaster Rovers won their encounter. White made 16 appearances in all competitions during his loan stay, scoring once.

Leeds United

White joined Championship team Leeds United on loan until the end of the season on July 1, 2019. White signed a new one-year contract deal with Brighton on the same day.

He was assigned the number 5 jersey ahead of the 2019–20 season and made his debut on 4 August in Leeds' 3–1 win against Bristol City on the opening day of the season.

White earned the Championship PFA Player of the Month award for August 2019 on 4 September 2019, after outstanding performances during the month of August.

White was reportedly being scouted by Premier League club

Liverpool

in November 2019, with Brighton head coach Graham Potter stating that White will not be recalled from Leeds and that his future would remain with Brighton at the conclusion of his loan term.

An important fact about Ben White is that he received the Championship Best Young Player title on December 23, 2019, after sustaining his form, as selected by Sky Sports viewers.

In January 2020, England manager Gareth Southgate kept an eye on White, as well as White's teammate Kalvin Phillips.

Leeds were promoted to the Premier League as league winners, and White participated in all 46 league games (and all 49 total).

He scored his single goal for Leeds in a 4–0 win against Charlton Athletic in the last game of his loan stay, which was selected Goal of the Month for July 2020.

White earned the Leeds Young Player of the Season award and the Yorkshire Evening Post Player of the Season award for 2019–20 when his loan ended. White was chosen to the PFA Team of the Year for the 2019–20 Championship on September 8, 2020.

Arsenal

White secured a £50 million deal with Premier League club Arsenal on July 30, 2021. He made his Premier League debut on August 13, 2021–22, in the first game of the season, starting and playing the whole 2–0 loss against Premier League newcomers Brentford.

Due to a positive COVID-19 test, White missed Arsenal's next match on August 22, a home encounter against London rivals Chelsea.

After returning to the Emirates Stadium on September 11, he made his home debut, helping to maintain a clean sheet in the club's first league win of the season, a 1–0 triumph against

Norwich City

.

On September 26, White made his debut appearance in the North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur, playing the whole game as Arsenal won 3–1 at home.

An important fact about Ben White is that he made his first appearance at Falmer Stadium since leaving Brighton on October 2nd, when he started and played the whole game for Arsenal in a 0–0 tie with his previous side.

On White's 200th club appearance, on May 16, 2022, he scored an own goal to put Newcastle ahead in a 2–0 away defeat, giving Tottenham the edge to secure a UEFA Champions League berth for the 2022–23 season.

Ben White international career

On May 25, 2021, White was nominated to England's tentative 33-man squad for UEFA Euro 2020, which will be held in the summer of 2021 owing to the postponing of the previous year's event due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

This was White's first call-up to any level of the national team. On June 1, he was one of seven players removed from the team, while the players that were cut stayed in the squad for the two warm-up games against Austria and Romania.

In the 1–0 win against Austria at the Riverside Stadium on June 2, White made his England debut as a substitute, replacing Jack Grealish. Alessandro Schöpf's shot was blocked off the line by him, saving a late equalizer.

After Albion teammate and captain Lewis Dunk was capped in November 2018, he became the sixth Brighton player to play for England in less than three years.

On June 6, he got his first start in the second and final warm-up match, playing the whole game in a 1–0 win against Romania at Riverside Stadium.

On June 7, White was selected to the 26-man Euro 2020 squad as a substitute for

Trent Alexander-Arnold

, who was injured.

An important

fact about Ben White

is that he went unplayed in the event, which saw England finish second in the Championships. Southgate, on the other hand, lauded the players who did not participate, stating, "They are the ones who make this team successful."

Ben White style of play

An important fact about Ben White is that he is a ball-playing center-back with strong technical ability, and previous boss Michael Flynn commended him for his robust tackling style. He can also play as a defensive midfielder or right-back.

White characterizes his own playing style as "cool" and "calm." White is also recognized for his rushing forward with the ball, which aids in the creation of rapid counterattacks from deep.

Ben White position

The 24-year-versatility old's is undoubtedly one of the reasons for her popularity. Bielsa mostly used White as a center-back in a back four during his time at Leeds, however he did make a few appearances as a holding midfielder in the Championship.

He played farther up the pitch for Brighton in his last season there, shielding the back three (or back four, on rare occasions) from a defensive midfield position.

His performance in the 1-0 victory away at Elland Road was particularly good, in which he shown maturity by scooping up loose balls, intercepting potential danger, and passing effectively.

"I've tried to squeeze in all the information I gained from the games I played in central midfield for Leeds," he told The Athletic. "Although the team, players, and league are all changed, the fundamentals remain the same. You must sprint, apply pressure, get people's heads down, and attempt to turn the ball over to your side."

While Brighton manager Graham Potter tended to prefer White as the right center-back in his back three, he also has the qualities to fill in at right-back if necessary.

Ben White strengths

An important fact about Ben White is that he brings together an old-school center-half and a modern-day intelligent center-back in a loving marriage.

He's one of the Premier League's most enthusiastic tacklers and doesn't shy away from the physical aspect of the game, but he's also nimble, quick to change direction and move about the field, calm in possession, and a calculated distributor of the ball (the latter two qualities being useful in escaping pressing from opposing forwards).

He's also combative, winning the ball high up the field on a regular basis and confident enough to bring the ball out of defense, racing past a couple of opponents before releasing it.

White also plays with intense concentration, seldom "switching off," as seen by his fondness for stunning goal-line clearances.

Ben White weaknesses

An important

fact about Ben White

is that he is a promising young defender with a bright future ahead of him.

He's still a young, growing center-back with just two seasons of professional experience, so there's certain to be potential for growth in several areas.

Having said that, he seems to have no major flaws in his game, which is amazing considering his age. He already seems to have a bright future in the game.

White is probably better off playing alongside a partner with a more calculated approach to defending as he can still appear overly eager to regain possession or take individual gambles despite being primarily a proactive and aggressive center-back who commits relatively few fouls for a player with his set of characteristics.

His lack of height, at 6-foot-1, is also a matter of trade-offs: if he were a few inches taller, he'd win a higher percentage of aerial challenges (he's in the 65 percent-70 percent range, which is on the low side for a center-back), but he'd be less effective at recovering the ball or winning ground challenges.

Ben White professional statistics

Ben White became a regular for the under-23s after graduating through Albion's youth divisions, as well as being on the bench for the first team on many occasions during the 2016/17 season.

In the first round of the EFL Cup in 2016, the center defender made his professional debut against Colchester United, with the Seagulls winning 4-0 at the Amex Stadium. White also played 90 minutes in the next round against Oxford United, which Albion won 4-2.

After joining Newport County in Sky Bet League Two, the defender appeared 51 times for the Exiles in the 2017/18 season, scoring one goal and providing five assists.

After spending the first part of the 2018/19 season with Albion's under-23s, White was loaned to Peterborough United, giving him a taste of English football's third division.

In 2019/20, he had a fantastic season with Leeds United, becoming a fixture in Marcelo Bielsa's side as they achieved promotion to the Premier League as winners.

He appeared in every league game for Leeds, scoring a spectacular goal against Charlton Athletic in his last outing for the club.

In September 2020, White signed a new four-year deal with Albion and made his Premier League debut later that month in a 3-1 home loss to Chelsea.

Ben White of Brighton had established himself as one of England's top young center-backs at the age of 23. Due to the scarcity of good young defenders, Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and Liverpool had apparently been scouting him.

White's rise to notoriety was rewarded when he was named to Gareth Southgate's England team for the European Championship, at which point Arsenal's interest had already grown.

Arteta was looking for a new right-sided center-back in the last transfer window, and after considering Sevilla's Jules Kounde, Arsenal had shifted its attention to White.

Some more facts about Ben White:

An important fact about Ben White is that he earned his senior England debut in the summer of 2021, and although being included to the Three Lions team for Euro 2020, he did not play in the tournament.

Ben started his youth career with Southampton until being released at the age of 16.

Brighton & Hove Albion

then offered him a scholarship and accepted him into their youth system.

The center defender, who was 20 years old at the time, was rewarded with a new contract in the summer of 2018, a deal that would keep him at the club until at least 2021 after being part of the Brighton youth system.

After his new contract was revealed in April 2018, White commented, "The agreement here indicates the club has placed confidence and trust in me — it's incredibly huge for myself and my family."

"I was released from Southampton when I was 16, and this club offered me a scholarship and has helped me get to where I am today, so I'm thankful."

An important fact about Ben White is that he was loaned out to a few different teams in order to obtain first-team experience. He spent the 2017-18 season with Newport County and a six-month loan spell with Peterborough United in January 2019.

White joined Championship side Leeds United on July 1, 2019, after being sent out on loan for the second time to seek regular playing time. In Leeds United's 3-1 win against Bristol City on August 4, 2019, he made his debut for the Whites.

In the 2019-20 season, White was a key member of the Leeds United squad, helping the Whites win the Championship and gain promotion to the Premier League. He appeared in every league game for the team and scored one goal.

White recalled warmly on his time at Elland Road in a post on his personal Instagram account following the season. "Having had some time to think on what has been the most wonderful season, I wanted to thank everyone affiliated with

Leeds United

Football Club, particularly the great fans," he said.

"No matter what happens from here, I'll never forget how you welcomed me and treated me like one of your own from the beginning. These memories and experiences will be with me for the rest of my life."

In the summer of 2020, Leeds United sought to recruit White on a permanent basis, with three offers for the defender being rejected by Brighton & Hove Albion.

"He liked his time at Leeds enormously," White's agent Alex Levack remarked in September 2020. “They took such good care of him, and the fans were kind to him. But it's really tough when a football team refuses to sell."

An important fact about Ben White is that he signed a new four-year deal with Brighton in September 2020, after a permanent transfer to Leeds fell through.

In the 2020-21 season, White made 36 Premier League appearances for the Seagulls, guiding them to a 16th-place finish in the Premier League standings.

His outstanding performances in the heart of Brighton's defense had not gone unnoticed, and a summer transfer to Arsenal awaited.

Arsenal confirmed an agreement to buy Ben White from Brighton & Hove Albion on July 30, 2021, after much speculation. The sum was not stated, although it was generally speculated to be in the region of £50 million.

White's weekly salary at Arsenal were rumored to be about £120,000 per week in a story published in August 2021 by The Daily Mirror.

Gunners coach

Mikel Arteta

acknowledged that the defender was one of the north London club's main priorities after the announcement of the signing.

"He has so many characteristics that make us so thrilled he's joining us," Arsenal technical director Edu said following White's signing in July 2021.”

“Ben is a talented young English footballer with a bright future ahead of him. He's a powerful defender who also plays well on the ball and has a long passing range. We're ecstatic that Ben has agreed to join us, and we're looking forward to seeing him develop."

In July 2021, Arteta stated, "Ben was a major goal for us, and it's excellent that we've finalized his deal.  Ben is a smart defender who is at ease with the ball at his feet, and his style complements ours wonderfully."

Ben had been linked with a transfer to Arsenal throughout the summer, and he revealed that keeping the news of the Gunners' interest private had been tough.

"Obviously, I've known for a long time, and it's taken a little longer than I expected, but I'm ecstatic to be here," White said in his first interview with the club.

"It's been difficult not to advise people to be fair. I instructed my relatives to keep their mouths shut. Even while I was on vacation, I was questioned whether I was still alive. It was difficult, but I was able to preserve it."

An important fact about Ben White is that he made his Arsenal debut on August 13, 2021, in the Gunners' opening Premier League game of the season, a 2-0 loss away at Brentford.

White made his first home debut for the Gunners on September 11, 2021, after testing positive for Covid-19. He played the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 home victory against Norwich City.

In June 2, 2021, White made his senior international debut for

England

, coming on as a substitute in the 71st minute of a 1-0 friendly win over Austria.

He was named to the Euro 2020 team as a substitute for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was injured, however he did not play in the event, which took place in the summer of 2021.

Ben spent the summer of 2021 in the Greek island of Mykonos with his former Leeds United and England teammate Kalvin Philips, as well as other pals.

Ben White social media

Regarding

Ben White social media

, it should be mentioned that he has an Instagram page (

@ben_white6

) with 605k followers. On the page, we can see various pictures of him along with his fans and family.

He also has a Twitter account (

@ben6white

) with more than 170k followers. He often posts new stuff on his Twitter page.

Ben White body measurements

Speaking about

Ben White body measurements

, it should be mentioned that the player is 182cm and 78kg.

Ben White net worth and salary

With Brighton, he made his Premier League debut and looked quite collected at the back. Following a strong season, the England international was called up to the national squad. His efforts delighted the Arsenal board, and White was bought for £50 million on July 30, 2021.

Following this major shift,

Ben White’s net worth

is believed to be in excess of $2 million. He earns an average of £6,240,000 every year. In a loss against Brentford, he made his Arsenal debut. He anchored the Arsenal backline in back-to-back games once his covid limitations were lifted.

Given his youth, his transfer to Arsenal is a major one. And, at this age, he lives a very opulent lifestyle. His new life in London is proving to be a good fit for him, and it's going to get better from here.

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