DOHA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- England defender Ben White has reflected on a career that has seen him move from the fourth tier of the English game to the World Cup in just five years and says his temperament has been a big factor in his steady and consistent progress.
The 25-year-old is now a regular in Mikel Arteta's impressive Premier League-leading Arsenal side, but after being released by Southampton when he was 16, his progress through the Brighton youth system saw him play in each level of the English game.
White spent the 2027-18 season on loan at Newport County in League Two - the fourth level of the game, before moving to Peterborough in League One the following year.
He then formed part of the Leeds United side that won promotion from the Championship to the Premier League in 2019-20, before spending a year back with Brighton in the top-flight and completing his move to Arsenal in 2021 for 50 million pounds.
"Coming to League Two, you go to a club and they are like: 'Who is this guy?' Then I go and get player of the season. Then I go to a League One club and the same happens. Then I go to Leeds; no one had a clue who I was and I played every single minute. I believe in myself. I don't think I have done it an easy way," he said in an interview with the 'Observer' newspaper.
White's form and ability to play in either central defense or at right back were the factors that convinced England coach, Gareth Southgate to pick him, and the defender puts his versatility down to what he is doing at Arsenal.
"At Arsenal, we build up in a three so I'm playing center-back every week but just on some occasions I'm flying forwards," he explained.
"My temperament is one of the big reasons why I am where I am. I don't go too high or too low. I learned from getting released. It was a rubbish day but I didn't cry. It was on to the next thing," added the defender, who admits he hadn't thought too much about earning a World Cup call-up.
"I didn't think about the World Cup at all until it was close. If you're so concerned about something, it normally doesn't happen. Things will be what they will be and you deal with it when it comes," concluded White, who is happy to stay calm and let his football do the talking. ■
