Arsenal's Ben White has opened up about Marcelo Bielsa's harsh treatment of him at Leeds, including kicking him out of the first-team changing room.
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White was on loan at Leeds in 2019-20 Had trained under Bielsa during that stintOpened up on the treatment he facedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! đ˘đąWHAT HAPPENED?
The defender was signed by The Whites on loan in the 2019-20 season to bolster their promotion push from the Championship to the English top-flight. White went on to flourish under Bielsa at Elland Road as he played a key role in securing a Premier League spot and was named the club's Young Player of the Season for his impressive performances throughout the campaign.
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However, White has revealed that he struggled to settle in his new surroundings and was finding it difficult to warm up to Bielsa's methods. He recalled that the manager did not speak English and relied on an interpreter. Upon arriving at the club, White was even made to spend weeks in the Under-23s changing room.
WHAT BEN WHITE SAID
In an interview with Ben Foster forWhite said: "When I first went to Leeds, I got in there, two days in I was in the first-team changing room. The first team wasnât in yet, for some reason, they were not there. They had a day off or something. I go in there, and someone comes in and tells me âNo, youâre in the 23s changing room. Kicks me out of the first-team changing room, and puts me in the 23s. I stayed there for five, six weeks. So Iâm ringing my agent saying âwhatâs going on?â"
White was given no explanation for his demotion. He then added: âIn my first training session, he didnât speak any English so someone would interpret it. He said to me that I was too slow, I wasnât agile enough and I wasnât mentally quick enough, and just walked off. Didnât speak to me again for probably months. I can probably count how many times he spoke to me. But when he would say something to you, youâd just do it. I think it was just for him to say to me, âyouâre not at the highest level, youâve got so much to improve on.ââ
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Bielsaâs tough training regime, which included double sessions and intense physical drills, pushed White to his limits, but it ultimately helped shape him into the player he is today.
âI have never done as much work in training than at Leeds, it was four hours every day, double sessions, sleep at the training ground," he said. "The runs we had to do were horrendous. But I had that in my mind that I would wait it out and I would be okay. I ended up playing every minute that season."