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Arsenal defender Ben White has come under fire from Gunners icon Patrick Vieira after admitting he doesn’t watch much football. The 24-year-old moved to the north Londoners this summer after the club shelled out a staggering £50million to sign him from Brighton.
White has played five Premier League games for Arsenal this season, with the team winning three of those and drawing another following their opening-night defeat at Brentford, in which White made his debut.
But the centre-back raised eyebrows earlier this week by admitting he is too busy to follow matches on television.
And that revelation has surprised Vieira. The World Cup winner believes the best players he has played alongside, like Thierry Henry, love watching the beautiful game.
“It matters,” said Vieira as he prepares to take his Crystal Palace side to the Emirates Stadium on Monday night.
“Watching games shows the passion and love you have. Thierry would watch any kind of game in any league in any country.
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That run has catapulted Arsenal up to 13th in the table and they will be hoping to move to within touching distance of the European places when they host Palace.
The Eagles have been hard to beat since Vieira took the helm in the summer and have lost just twice in their opening seven games.
Their only victory of the campaign came last month when they thrashed Tottenham 3-0 at Selhurst Park.
White, meanwhile, admits he is aware of how good Vieira was during his playing days, despite not watching him in action much.
“I never watched football when I was younger – still don’t now,” White said this week.
“I just loved the game. I was always playing it – never watching it.
So I don’t know too much about older generations. I know [Vieira] was a very good player. But I wouldn’t know the details. I’m quite busy – I’m always doing something.
“I watch myself for analytical reasons. I watch England, maybe. I just wouldn’t just sit down and watch a game.”
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