Jordan Henderson has come to the defence of Ben White following the Arsenal defender being booed by sections of the England support, suggesting many fans are reacting to media coverage rather than first-hand knowledge of events surrounding the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
White, who left England’s Qatar camp early under circumstances that have never been fully explained publicly, returned to the international fold and has faced hostility from some supporters since his comeback. Henderson, speaking to Hayters TV, said the full picture of what happened in Qatar remains unknown to most people, including those directing the boos.
“I’ve been through it myself but that’s part and parcel of being an England player. Some of the fans probably don’t know why they’re booing, they listen to what’s been said in the media and a lot of the time what the media say isn’t true, not really many people know the ins and outs of what happened in Qatar.
“I think Ben’s been brilliant since he came back in and we’ll support him as team-mates of course. A few of us have been there when we’ve been booed. It’s difficult when it’s you but you’ve got to try not to take it too personally.”
Henderson added that White has performed well since returning to the squad and that his England team-mates are fully behind him.
