Ben White ‘set to be included’ in England’s provisional Euro 2020 squad
Ben White #BenWhite
Euro 2020: Gareth Southgate fires up ambitious England
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Brighton centre-back Ben White is set to be included in Gareth Southgate’s provisional England squad for the European Championships following his impressive Premier League campaign.
The 23-year-old, who has yet to win a cap for his country, made a total of 38 appearances for the Seagulls in all competitions this season and was consistently an assured and solid presence at the back.
Southgate was present during Brighton’s 1-1 draw with West Ham earlier this month, and White has clearly left an impression on him.
According to The Athletic he will be one of the more surprising names listed in Southgate’s provisional squad for this summer’s competition, which is set to be announced on Tuesday.
It comes with Manchester United defender Harry Maguire facing a race to be declared fit for the tournament, which kicks off next month.
White first properly caught the eye when he went on loan to Leeds last season, and was a key figure in the side which won promotion to the Premier League.
Despite Leeds’ best attempts to sign him permanently last summer, White ended up returning to Brighton, where he has been a crucial first-team player ever since.
White’s versatility is one of his strongest assets, and he is able to comfortably play in the centre of a back four, on the right side of a back three or even as a defensive midfielder.
White is not the only uncapped defender set to be included, with Everton’s Ben Godfrey also in line for a call-up as Southgate looks to make contingency plans for the possibility of Maguire’s absence.
England’s have two warm-up games for the Euros coming up against Austria on June 2 and Romania on June 6 before they face their first group stage game against Croatia on June 13.
Five days later they have a grudge match versus Scotland, before finishing the group stage against Czech Republic on June 22.