Ben White booed, scores and concedes penalty as England held by Uruguay

Ben White (centre) celebratesplaceholder image
Ben White (centre) celebrates

The defender made an eventful return to international football.

Ben White scored his first international goal, gave away a penalty and was booed by his own fans as the England defender made an eventful return to the fold in an otherwise forgettable 1-1 friendly draw with Uruguay.

The 28-year-old has not played for his country in four years and made himself unavailable for selection under Sir Gareth Southgate, having returned from the 2022 World Cup due to what the Football Association called “personal reasons”.

White was drafted into the final squad before Thomas Tuchel names his World Cup selection after an injury to Jarell Quansah and the manager’s plea for the Arsenal man to receive a positive reception was ignored by some in the Wembley crowd.

The defender was booed by supporters when introduced as England’s eighth and final substitute on Friday and jeered again even after poking home in the 81st minute.

But the drama did not stop there as White was adjudged to have fouled Federico Vinas after a VAR review, with Federico Valverde levelling from the spot in stoppage time.

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