Ben White Admits Crying After Knee Injury at West Ham Last Season

Ben White has revealed he broke down in tears after suffering the knee injury that ruled him out of Arsenal’s Champions League final and England’s World Cup campaign.

The defender was forced off in the first half of Arsenal’s 1-0 win at West Ham on 10 May, at a crucial stage of the title run-in. He left the London Stadium wearing a brace on his right knee, and Mikel Arteta admitted after the game that the injury did not look good.

Two days later, the club confirmed White had suffered a significant medial knee ligament injury that would rule him out for the rest of the season. That meant missing the final two league games of Arsenal’s title-winning campaign and the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest.

Speaking to The Sun after Saturday’s 2-0 win over Everton, White admitted he knew straight away how serious the problem was.

‘It was tough. As soon as I did it, I knew,’ he said. ‘I have had little things like that before and I kind of digested it walking around the pitch.

‘It was that quick, really. I knew that was going to be me for the season, and I had a little cry on the way round.’

The timing made the setback especially cruel. White had only just ended a four-year international exile, featuring for England against Uruguay and Japan in March, and the injury effectively ended his hopes of a place in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad.

White later found out that he did not require surgery, with the club targeting a return in time for pre-season. White revealed he went further than that, skipping a summer break entirely to make sure he was ready.

‘That was it. Once I got in the dressing room, I was focused on trying to recover and get back,’ he said. ‘I literally trained every day over the summer. I didn’t really have a break, that was my aim.’

That dedication has been rewarded. White has started seven of Arsenal’s eight Premier League games this season and already has three assists, the latest being his pinpoint cross for Gabriel’s header against Everton, in what was his 200th appearance for the club.

‘It’s really creeped up, creeped up slowly,’ White said of the milestone. ‘It’s amazing to play 200 games for this club. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.’

The 29-year-old is also benefiting from Jurriën Timber’s return to fitness, with the pair now able to share the workload at right-back, and he believes that will bring out the best in both of them.

‘We can actually get some rest. I am sure you will see the best versions of each of us,’ he said. ‘It’s really nice to share the load with me and JT.’