Ben White is the 2nd most expensive English defender in the world. He could potentially get a Premier League winners medal if Arsenal stays in form till the end of the season.
But this would not have happened if Ben would have chosen his father’s career. The English international was born on the Dorset coast in Poole.
Ben White’s father was Barry White who worked as a gardener and builder whereas his mother was a homemaker. White also has a sister named Elle.
The English international is currently engaged to his girlfriend Milly Adams. They announced their engagement in June 2022.
White was fond of gardening and was often tasked by his father to do logging and slabbing tasks.
In an interview with Arsenal’s press, White told:
I’d probably be working with my dad if I wasn’t a footballer. He used to be a gardener. I think that’s why there was never any pressure on me growing up, because I would have been very happy with that. I went into football but it would have been no problem for me to do what my dad did.
White later revealed that his father doesn’t like to watch football games:
I don’t think my dad has ever said to me: ‘Shall we watch a game on TV?’ He absolutely isn’t interested in that, I don’t think he’s ever watched one on TV.
Ben White was not born with a good immune system as his parents noticed that their son’s immune system was not working just after a few months of his birth. In an interview White’s mother Carole White was quoted by the Athletic:
“If somebody sneezed, he would end up having Pneumonia.”
As a little boy, White suffered from appendicitis, and it took a while before recovering from the inflammation disease.
Later on, White had his appendix removed by surgery. Due to these issues, White has a massive allergy problem which forced his parents to stay in constant touch with him wherever he goes. His mother quoted by the Athletic said:
He had appendicitis and he didn’t come around from that for a while. He had six or seven different infections. He was in hospital for much of his young life, for months at a time. He was seven when he had his appendix out.
He was on antibiotics twice a day until the age of eight from 18 months old. He had massive allergies. We carried an Epipen (adrenaline auto-injector) everywhere. It would be the only way to save him.
As parents it was either wrap him up in a bubble or let him do what he wanted so he had a quality of life. And then, he started to get better. Now he’s not got any allergies at all and the treatment worked.
But back then, all those days in hospital, we could never have imagined he could be an athlete.”
Mark Anderson, the then Brighton head of player development, was responsible for the development of Ben White whom he recognized as very humble as quoted by Sportsmail:
He comes from a very, very lovely background. His mum did miles and miles and miles for hours and hours over the years with Ben, even when he was at Southampton.
At Brighton she came to every single game – through the day, through the night. She followed every single inch of what Ben was doing in the part of his development.
She was top drawer, you couldn’t have asked for anything else. She would have put her last penny in the petrol tank for him and got to games in any way, shape or form.”
It is clear from Anderson’s words that his mom has been the most personal for him in his journey to becoming a Premier League player.
Ben White spent most of his childhood in Poole which was just an ordinary coastal town.
Later on, he was scouted by Southampton scouts at the age of eight. He spent 8 years in the Saints academy where he was later released.
Disheartened but not defeated, White started to take trials for championship sides where he caught the eye of Brighton and Hove Albion academy.
White was loaned to Newport city, Peterborough and Leeds United before becoming regular in Potter’s side. White also won his first trophy with Leeds United.
The current English international made his debut for the Seagulls in a League Cup match against Colchester United aged 18.
After completing his loan stints, White re-joined Brighton & Hove Albion with the promise of regular football. White showed his technical ability and tough-tackling style on several occasions which earned him Brighton & Hove Albion’s Player of the 2020-2021 Season.
This earned White his call-up to the England national team for Euro 2020 in which he played an integral part for the Three Lions who eventually lost in the final.
After his spectacular performance in Euro 2020, White signed for Arsenal for a whopping 52 million pounds making him the 2nd most expensive English defender.
The 26-year-old is a regular in Mikel Arteta’s side, having featured in all 26 of the Gunners’ league fixtures this season, recording a goal and two assists.