Jordan Henderson Backs Ben White Amidst Fan Criticism
Ben White faces fan criticism in England return, but Thomas Tuchel and teammates stand by him. White scores, concedes penalty, and faces boos in Uruguay draw. Jordan Henderson backs him.
“It is really difficult when that happens, so it is important for us to make sure he is OK...”
Jordan Henderson has come out in support of Ben White after the Arsenal defender was booed by England fans during the friendly against Uruguay. White was jeered when he came on as a sub and again after scoring the equalizer in the 1-1 draw at Wembley.
Ben White's return to the England team was marked by drama, scoring a goal in the 81st minute only to concede a stoppage-time penalty, which Uruguay's Federico Valverde converted to secure a 1-1 draw. White, making his first appearance since leaving the 2022 World Cup squad, was booed by England fans when he came on and again when he scored.
Thomas Tuchel, England's coach, defended White, saying he's “ready to write some new chapters” and that the team will support him. White's journey back to the team has been tumultuous, with fans still unhappy about his decision to leave the World Cup squad in 2022.
Ben White made himself unavailable for England selection for the rest of Gareth Southgate's tenure as manager. Now, under Thomas Tuchel, White has got a second chance, but fans weren't too happy about it when he came on as a sub for Fikayo Tomori on Friday.
Jordan Henderson has been backing White, saying teammates will support him and that fans should give him a fair chance. Tuchel also believes White deserves another shot, saying “everyone deserves a second chance.”
Ben White made himself unavailable for England selection for the rest of Gareth Southgate's tenure. Now, under Thomas Tuchel, White has got a second chance, but fans weren't too happy about it when he came on as a sub for Fikayo Tomori on Friday. White was booed when he entered the game and again when he scored, but Thomas Tuchel has defended him, saying he deserves another shot.
“As teammates, we are always there to support. A lot of the fans will be in support of all of the players,” the Brentford midfielder said.
“I have been through it myself, but that is part and parcel of being an England player.
“Some of the fans probably don't even know why they are booing. They listen to what is being said in the media, and a lot of the time, what the media says isn't true.
“Not many people know the ins and outs of what happened in Qatar, and it is for us to deal with it internally.”
Jordan Henderson, who captained England against Uruguay, said Ben White has been welcomed back into the squad and it's up to the team to support him through the criticism. White was booed by England fans when he came on as a sub and again after scoring, but Henderson believes teammates will help him cope with the abuse.
Henderson, now with Brentford, knows how it feels to face fan backlash, having been booed after his move to Saudi Arabia. He emphasized that as teammates, they're always there to support each other, and some fans might not even know why they're booing.
“Ben has been good since he came back in, and we will support him as teammates,” Henderson said.
“A few of us have been there. It is difficult when it is you, but you have to try not to take it too personally, the media can spin things in certain ways, which isn't always the truth, and then fans can pick up on that and think it is the truth.”
🗣️ ''A few of us have been there, it's difficult when it's you, but you've got to try not take it personally''
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 28, 2026
Jordan Henderson on Ben White being booed during England's friendly against Uruguay. pic.twitter.com/OlD0wr4uOt
He added, “It is really difficult when that happens, so it is important for us to make sure he is OK, which I am sure he is.
“I was delighted he got on and got a goal, which is the most important thing.”
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