Thomas Tuchel: England defender Ben White must take boos 'on the chin'

The Arsenal man, making his first England appearance since leaving the 2022 Qatar World Cup camp, was met with boos from sections of the home crowd when he was introduced as a substitute.

The reaction reflected lingering frustration among some supporters, who have not forgiven his previous withdrawal from national duty and remain sceptical about his place in plans for the 2026 World Cup.

White appeared to silence critics when he scored his first international goal in the 81st minute, only for jeers to resurface when his name was announced.

However, the evening took another twist in stoppage time when White conceded a penalty, allowing Uruguay to equalise.

England manager Thomas Tuchel defended the defender after the match, backing his contribution despite the mixed reception and late setback.

"I heard that he was booed," Tuchel said in his post-match press conference.

"I didn't hear it actually on the field because I was involved in the changes and instructions, so I didn't hear it so I think then it cannot be the majority.

"There were some boos and some mixed reception for him, which I am disappointed about because of course we protect our players and he was excellent in camp and he deserved to come on.

"He deserved also to start and got us almost the winner, but I also understood that it happened to other players before here.

"He needs to take it on the chin. We will always protect him and hopefully we can put it behind [us] because he is ready to write some new chapters and we are ready to give him the chance, so hopefully everyone can move on and accept it."