Arsenal defender White: I’ve grown so much as a player and person

Arsenal defender Ben White insists he has grown immensly over the past year.

The Englishman has started every league game this term, his second as an Arsenal player.

Asked how much he’s grown over the past year, White told the club’s website: “A lot as a person; I think more as a person than a player. When you come to such a big club like this, there’s a lot more to it than you’d think.

“As a player, I’ve become more confident and been showing the confidence put in me, and trying to perform to the level that the manager wants every week is something that I’m looking forward to.

“This season has been very different. There’s a lot more togetherness, and the way we train is completely different. What we do off the pitch, the attitude and the spirit that we’re all together is completely different.

“For me personally, it was a tough start when I first joined. I played in the Brentford game and didn’t have a good game. I was getting battered by every person in the media and it’s rubbish to hear that.

“I don’t have social media or anything like that, so I don’t actually see any of it but you get told about it and sent it. It’s one of those things; everyone has their opinion. Some you listen to it, and some of you don’t.”