England’s national team manager, Gareth Southgate, expressed his excitement about the emergence of young talent Kobbie Mainoo, while also hinting at the possibility of including Ben White in the Euro 2024 squad in a recent interview.
Regarding Mainoo, Southgate praised the 20-year-old’s fearlessness and technical ability, especially in tight areas. He also highlighted the Manchester United midfielder’s unique profile. The Three Lions manager said that Kobbie’s attributes add a new dimension to the team that they previously lacked, which he finds “hugely exciting”. Mainoo demonstrated his potential in the recent international friendly game between England and Belgium. He received the Man of the Match award after a standout performance in only his second appearance for the Three Lions and his first ever start.
🚨🏴 Southgate: “It's really for Ben White now… the door is open for us”.
“I respected the situation as Arsenal have contacted us. I felt I should back away from it a little bit. But I've always left the door open. I was keen to bring him in this camp”. pic.twitter.com/HgoREvcamg
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 27, 2024
On the topic of Ben White, Southgate revealed that the door remains open for the Arsenal defender. White received a call-up to the latest England squad but cited personal reasons as the reason to turn it down. However, the manager underlined that he has always considered the defender for selection, expressing his eagerness to include him in future camps.