'Very demanding with himself': Arteta says Arsenal 24-year-old is so eager to improve all the time
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has praised Gunners defender Ben White for his attitude in training.
The 24-year-old was the most high-profile arrival in the summer, joining for a reported £50million.
White struggled in the season opener against Brentford and missed the following two games after catching covid.
But following this tricky start to life at Arsenal, White found his feet and now he’s doing superbly for the Gunners.
To date, the England international has made 18 Premier League starts for Arsenal and 22 appearances all season.
White is one of the first names on Arteta’s team sheet, part of a much-improved defensive unit.
The Arsenal boss, speaking ahead of the Tottenham derby clash, couldn’t help but sing the defender’s praises.
“He’s just moved to our club and he’s just been here just for a few months but he has something and he wants to do it,” Arteta told the Arsenal media team.
“He’s very demanding with himself, he’s really willing to learn and improve his game and he’s in the right place.
“In terms of the qualities that I saw in him and what is required for us to try to recruit somebody like him with his qualities, it was clear.
“Then those personalities as well, that chemistry has to exist [between White and Gabriel Magalhaes].
“We can see they really enjoy playing together, you can see that.
“That chemistry is there and that’s a massive extra when you are looking to build something at the back.”
In November, The Athletic claimed that White left Arsenal’s coaches “pleasantly surprised”.
He has shown willingness to rally those around him, one of several players showing leadership at the club.
After David Luiz left in the summer, there were hopes that other players would step up and offer leadership.
White is one of those who has impressed with his leadership skills, as have Gabriel and Aaron Ramsdale.
