Arsenal defender Ben White reveals he would have been a GARDENER if he didn’t become a footballer

Arsenal and England star Ben White believes he would have followed in his father’s footsteps and become a gardener if he wasn’t a professional footballer.

White, 25, has made 32 appearances for the Gunners this season, helping Mikel Arteta’s side lead the way in the Premier League title race.

Though while establishing himself as one of the country’s best defenders in recent years, the former Brighton man has never been afraid to admit he has little interest in football outside of his own career, instead treating the sport purely as a profession.

When spending time away from Arsenal, White says he would never watch a game for entertainment purposes, and is convinced he would have gone into gardening if pro football didn’t work out.    

‘I’d probably be working with my dad if I wasn’t a footballer. He used to be a gardener,’ he wrote in Arsenal’s matchday programme. ‘I think that’s why there was never any pressure on me growing up, because I would have been very happy with that.

Ben White believes he would have become a gardener if he wasn’t a professional footballer

White is a crucial member of an Arsenal side leading the way in the Premier League title race

‘I went into football but it would have been no problem for me to do what my dad did.

‘I never used to watch football much anyway. If it was on when I was a kid, after five minutes I’d get bored of it and go outside to play football. I didn’t really watch it, I’d much rather do it. Even now, I don’t watch football really.

‘I watch my own clips and my own footage to help me improve but I wouldn’t watch a game for fun.’

White started his professional career with Brighton before sealing a £50million move to Arsenal in 2021, a fee which raised eyebrows at the time given his little top-flight experience.

Yet he has emerged as an invaluable member of the Gunners’ title-chasing side, while also earning four caps for England. 

‘I’m obsessed with being the best I can be and being successful and that would have been in anything I did,’ he continued. 

‘I always want to do the most I can to be a success. So, if I had gone into gardening, it would have been the same.

But the 25-year-old says he has little interest in football outside of bettering his own career

‘My profession just happens to also be a lot of people’s hobby. They look forward to every Saturday to watch the game and that’s great. 

‘But for me it’s about being on the pitches every day, trying to constantly be the best you can be. That’s the bit I really love.

‘When I come into the training ground, it’s all about football – 100% focus. Then when I leave, I switch off from it.

‘I don’t think my dad has ever said to me: “Shall we watch a game on TV?” He absolutely isn’t interested in that, I don’t think he’s ever watched one on TV.’