Ben White, now a crucial figure at Arsenal, recalls facing significant challenges during his loan spell at Leeds United. The 27-year-old, who began his career at Brighton, had loan stints at Newport County and Peterborough before joining Leeds, where he struggled initially under manager Marcelo Bielsa.
In an interview with Ben Foster for Amazon Prime, White shared that upon arriving at Leeds, he was unexpectedly directed to the Under-23s changing room instead of the first team. “I was in there for five, six weeks, ringing my agent asking, ‘What’s going on?'” he revealed.
Bielsa’s tough love continued during training, where White faced cutting criticism. “He said I was too slow, not agile enough, and not mentally quick enough,” White recalled, adding that the manager rarely communicated with him for months. “When he spoke, you just did it,” White noted, recognizing Bielsa’s approach aimed to push him to improve.
Despite the rocky start, White thrived at Leeds, making 49 appearances in a Championship-winning season. “I’ve never done as much work in training as at Leeds; it was four hours every day, double sessions,” he said, crediting his perseverance for his eventual success.
Now recovering from a knee injury, White is eager to contribute as Arsenal prepares to face Bournemouth on Saturday.