WHITE ON GROWING UP, HIS
LOVE OF THE GAME AND
GARDENING...
football helps him keep a level-headed approach to training
and matchdays.
ere’s no doubting Ben White’s love and passion for football. But what is slightly unusual about the defender’s relationship with the sport, is that he is purely a lover of playing the game, rather than watching it for enjoyment.
It’s always been like that. Coming from a family with no history of involvement in football at all, Ben was not brought up as a football fan, but as a naturally sporty and active kid – it didn’t take him long to find his true passion.
And once he did, his parents were completely behind him, giving him 100 per cent support, helping him to fulfil his undoubted natural talent.
“My main inspiration is always my family,” he starts, “their support and encouragement is probably what got me started in the sport.
“I had the love of playing football from a very young age, it was all I wanted to ever do really, from as early as I can remember, and my family have always been there for me.
“Nobody in my family had ever played football, they have never been into it. My parents aren’t football fans at all, so they didn’t push me into it. But they saw how much I loved it, and they did everything they could to help me.
“I don’t know how I got into it really in the first place, probably just through being with mates, playing in the park or the garden. I can’t remember why, I don’t think there was a particular moment that set me off in football, but I remember loving it from the first time I ever kicked a ball.
“I was always sporty as a kid though, I played everything. Sport got me out of a few lessons! But yeah I played tennis, hockey, a lot of cricket too. I was an all-rounder and played that until I was about 16. By that stage though football was taking up all my time, and it was the one I enjoyed most anyway, so I concentrated only on footbal
“Obviously when I started, it was all just for fun, you don’t know where it will lead you at that age. I was never thinking about becoming professional, but when I signed my first contract at 17, that’s when I first thought I might be able to do it for my future. I got released from Southampton when I was 16, then signed pro at Brighton when I was 17, so I started to believe then that I might be able to do something.
“Then when I had my first loan spell, at Newport, and did well, that gave me the belief as well that I could make it. I was 19 at the time, thinking I could do it in that league [League Two], so I just needed to keep progressing to take it higher.”
Playing purely for the love of the sport clearly had its advantages, and Ben says there has never been a time when he lost the enjoyment or felt under pressure, even when it became his profession, and he began playing football for his livelihood.
“No, not really – because there are much worse jobs you could be doing!” he grins. “There’s not really much about the job that’s not enjoyable, so I’ve always kept my love for it. I never had a time in my career when I doubted whether I wanted to do it, I enjoy all of it.”
ere’s no doubting Ben White’s love and passion for football. But what is slightly unusual about the defender’s relationship with the sport, is that he is purely a lover of playing the game, rather than watching it for enjoyment.
It’s always been like that. Coming from a family with no history of involvement in football at all, Ben was not brought up as a football fan, but as a naturally sporty and active kid – it didn’t take him long to find his true passion.
And once he did, his parents were completely behind him, giving him 100 per cent support, helping him to fulfil his undoubted natural talent.
“My main inspiration is always my family,” he starts, “their support and encouragement is probably what got me started in the sport.
“I had the love of playing football from a very young age, it was all I wanted to ever do really, from as early as I can remember, and my family have always been there for me.
“Nobody in my family had ever played football, they have never been into it. My parents aren’t football fans at all, so they didn’t push me into it. But they saw how much I loved it, and they did everything they could to help me.
“I don’t know how I got into it really in the first place, probably just through being with mates, playing in the park or the garden. I can’t remember why, I don’t think there was a particular moment that set me off in football, but I remember loving it from the first time I ever kicked a ball.
“I was always sporty as a kid though, I played everything. Sport got me out of a few lessons! But yeah I played tennis, hockey, a lot of cricket too. I was an all-rounder and played that until I was about 16. By that stage though football was taking up all my time, and it was the one I enjoyed most anyway, so I concentrated only on footbal
“Obviously when I started, it was all just for fun, you don’t know where it will lead you at that age. I was never thinking about becoming professional, but when I signed my first contract at 17, that’s when I first thought I might be able to do it for my future. I got released from Southampton when I was 16, then signed pro at Brighton when I was 17, so I started to believe then that I might be able to do something.
“Then when I had my first loan spell, at Newport, and did well, that gave me the belief as well that I could make it. I was 19 at the time, thinking I could do it in that league [League Two], so I just needed to keep progressing to take it higher.”
Playing purely for the love of the sport clearly had its advantages, and Ben says there has never been a time when he lost the enjoyment or felt under pressure, even when it became his profession, and he began playing football for his livelihood.
“No, not really – because there are much worse jobs you could be doing!” he grins. “There’s not really much about the job that’s not enjoyable, so I’ve always kept my love for it. I never had a time in my career when I doubted whether I wanted to do it, I enjoy all of it.”
WHITE ON GROWING UP, HIS
LOVE OF THE GAME AND
GARDENING...
ere’s no doubting Ben White’s love and passion for football. But what is slightly unusual about the defender’s relationship with the sport, is that he is purely a lover of playing the game, rather than watching it for enjoyment.
It’s always been like that. Coming from a family with no history of involvement in football at all, Ben was not brought up as a football fan, but as a naturally sporty and active kid – it didn’t take him long to find his true passion.
And once he did, his parents were completely behind him, giving him 100 per cent support, helping him to fulfil his undoubted natural talent.
“My main inspiration is always my family,” he starts, “their support and encouragement is probably what got me started in the sport.
“I had the love of playing football from a very young age, it was all I wanted to ever do really, from as early as I can remember, and my family have always been there for me.
“Nobody in my family had ever played football, they have never been into it. My parents aren’t football fans at all, so they didn’t push me into it. But they saw how much I loved it, and they did everything they could to help me.
“I don’t know how I got into it really in the first place, probably just through being with mates, playing in the park or the garden. I can’t remember why, I don’t think there was a particular moment that set me off in football, but I remember loving it from the first time I ever kicked a ball.
“I was always sporty as a kid though, I played everything. Sport got me out of a few lessons! But yeah I played tennis, hockey, a lot of cricket too. I was an all-rounder and played that until I was about 16. By that stage though football was taking up all my time, and it was the one I enjoyed most anyway, so I concentrated only on footbal
“Obviously when I started, it was all just for fun, you don’t know where it will lead you at that age. I was never thinking about becoming professional, but when I signed my first contract at 17, that’s when I first thought I might be able to do it for my future. I got released from Southampton when I was 16, then signed pro at Brighton when I was 17, so I started to believe then that I might be able to do something.
“Then when I had my first loan spell, at Newport, and did well, that gave me the belief as well that I could make it. I was 19 at the time, thinking I could do it in that league [League Two], so I just needed to keep progressing to take it higher.”
Playing purely for the love of the sport clearly had its advantages, and Ben says there has never been a time when he lost the enjoyment or felt under pressure, even when it became his profession, and he began playing football for his livelihood.
“No, not really – because there are much worse jobs you could be doing!” he grins. “There’s not really much about the job that’s not enjoyable, so I’ve always kept my love for it. I never had a time in my career when I doubted whether I wanted to do it, I enjoy all of it.”
ere’s no doubting Ben White’s love and passion for football. But what is slightly unusual about the defender’s relationship with the sport, is that he is purely a lover of playing the game, rather than watching it for enjoyment.
It’s always been like that. Coming from a family with no history of involvement in football at all, Ben was not brought up as a football fan, but as a naturally sporty and active kid – it didn’t take him long to find his true passion.
And once he did, his parents were completely behind him, giving him 100 per cent support, helping him to fulfil his undoubted natural talent.
“My main inspiration is always my family,” he starts, “their support and encouragement is probably what got me started in the sport.
“I had the love of playing football from a very young age, it was all I wanted to ever do really, from as early as I can remember, and my family have always been there for me.
“Nobody in my family had ever played football, they have never been into it. My parents aren’t football fans at all, so they didn’t push me into it. But they saw how much I loved it, and they did everything they could to help me.
“I don’t know how I got into it really in the first place, probably just through being with mates, playing in the park or the garden. I can’t remember why, I don’t think there was a particular moment that set me off in football, but I remember loving it from the first time I ever kicked a ball.
“I was always sporty as a kid though, I played everything. Sport got me out of a few lessons! But yeah I played tennis, hockey, a lot of cricket too. I was an all-rounder and played that until I was about 16. By that stage though football was taking up all my time, and it was the one I enjoyed most anyway, so I concentrated only on footbal
“Obviously when I started, it was all just for fun, you don’t know where it will lead you at that age. I was never thinking about becoming professional, but when I signed my first contract at 17, that’s when I first thought I might be able to do it for my future. I got released from Southampton when I was 16, then signed pro at Brighton when I was 17, so I started to believe then that I might be able to do something.
“Then when I had my first loan spell, at Newport, and did well, that gave me the belief as well that I could make it. I was 19 at the time, thinking I could do it in that league [League Two], so I just needed to keep progressing to take it higher.”
Playing purely for the love of the sport clearly had its advantages, and Ben says there has never been a time when he lost the enjoyment or felt under pressure, even when it became his profession, and he began playing football for his livelihood.
“No, not really – because there are much worse jobs you could be doing!” he grins. “There’s not really much about the job that’s not enjoyable, so I’ve always kept my love for it. I never had a time in my career when I doubted whether I wanted to do it, I enjoy all of it.”
WHITE ON GROWING UP, HIS
LOVE OF THE GAME AND
GARDENING...
ere’s no doubting Ben White’s love and passion for football. But what is slightly unusual about the defender’s relationship with the sport, is that he is purely a lover of playing the game, rather than watching it for enjoyment.
It’s always been like that. Coming from a family with no history of involvement in football at all, Ben was not brought up as a football fan, but as a naturally sporty and active kid – it didn’t take him long to find his true passion.
And once he did, his parents were completely behind him, giving him 100 per cent support, helping him to fulfil his undoubted natural talent.
“My main inspiration is always my family,” he starts, “their support and encouragement is probably what got me started in the sport.
“I had the love of playing football from a very young age, it was all I wanted to ever do really, from as early as I can remember, and my family have always been there for me.
“Nobody in my family had ever played football, they have never been into it. My parents aren’t football fans at all, so they didn’t push me into it. But they saw how much I loved it, and they did everything they could to help me.
“I don’t know how I got into it really in the first place, probably just through being with mates, playing in the park or the garden. I can’t remember why, I don’t think there was a particular moment that set me off in football, but I remember loving it from the first time I ever kicked a ball.
“I was always sporty as a kid though, I played everything. Sport got me out of a few lessons! But yeah I played tennis, hockey, a lot of cricket too. I was an all-rounder and played that until I was about 16. By that stage though football was taking up all my time, and it was the one I enjoyed most anyway, so I concentrated only on footbal
“Obviously when I started, it was all just for fun, you don’t know where it will lead you at that age. I was never thinking about becoming professional, but when I signed my first contract at 17, that’s when I first thought I might be able to do it for my future. I got released from Southampton when I was 16, then signed pro at Brighton when I was 17, so I started to believe then that I might be able to do something.
“Then when I had my first loan spell, at Newport, and did well, that gave me the belief as well that I could make it. I was 19 at the time, thinking I could do it in that league [League Two], so I just needed to keep progressing to take it higher.”
Playing purely for the love of the sport clearly had its advantages, and Ben says there has never been a time when he lost the enjoyment or felt under pressure, even when it became his profession, and he began playing football for his livelihood.
“No, not really – because there are much worse jobs you could be doing!” he grins. “There’s not really much about the job that’s not enjoyable, so I’ve always kept my love for it. I never had a time in my career when I doubted whether I wanted to do it, I enjoy all of it.”
