Ben White doesn’t have many World Cup memories as a child – as his family never watched the tournament.
White’s parents famously weren’t football fans – though he insists they come to every game now and are out in Doha to support him as part of the World Cup squad.
It was family friends who got him into the game and as such he doesn’t recall the World Cup being on in the house, citing Eric Dier’s winning penalty against Colombia, four years ago, as his most-significant World Cup moment.
Asked whether he had particular memory, he said: ‘Not that many stick out. Eric’s [Dier’s] penalty, the feeling when that went in.
‘In the summer I used to ride down to the beach in Bournemouth and watch it on a big screen but normally I’m not watching football in the week,’ he said.
‘I didn’t grow up watching it, in my house it wasn’t on and if it was I’d watch for a bit, I’d then go outside and try to copy someone or practice a skill. It’s never been in my life or my mum and dad’s.
'My dad is just a normal bloke, a gardener, who goes to work has no passion for any sport.
'My mum would, she had six siblings and they had a massive football pitch in the garden when they were younger and they would play a lot.’
Now he plays, his parents have become fans, however. ‘My mum and dad have been to every game I have played in.
'My mum was at hospital when my sister was giving birth but that’s the only game she’s every missed.’
He himself still isn’t a huge fan of watching the game. ‘Sitting down and watching a 90 minute game after I trained all day and had four or five meetings about football the last thing I would do is watch more football!’