Ben White (footballer)

For the first league match of the 2016–17 season on 6 August 2016, White was an unused substitute in a 0–0 draw away to Derby County.[5] White made his professional football debut three days later on 9 August, playing the entire game of the first round EFL Cup match in a 4–0 home victory over Colchester United.[6] White continued to be an unused substitute in the next three league games against Nottingham Forest,[7] Rotherham United[8] and Reading.[9] His second start for Brighton came in the next round of the EFL cup again playing the whole match away against Oxford United on 23 August, where Brighton won 4–2.[10] White was once again an unused substitute on 18 March 2017, this time against Leeds United.[11] White also appeared 3 times during the EFL Trophy before Brighton U21s were eliminated in round three by Coventry City.

On 1 August 2017, White signed for League Two side Newport County on loan until the end of the 2017–18 season in what was described by manager Michael Flynn as a "big coup for the club."[12] White made his debut for Newport on 8 August 2017 in a 2–0 victory over Southend United in the first round of the EFL Cup.[13] He made his Football League debut on 12 August 2017 in a 1–1 draw versus Crewe Alexandra. White scored his first Football League goal on 21 November 2017 for Newport against Barnet in a 2–1 home defeat.[14]

On 7 January 2018, White started for Newport in a shock 2–1 home win over Championship club Leeds United in the FA Cup third round, which meant Newport progressed to the FA Cup fourth round for the first time since the 1978–79 FA Cup.[15] In the following round, Newport were drawn at home to Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. On 27 January 2018, White started the match as Newport put in a creditable 1–1 draw to force a replay at Tottenham's temporary home ground Wembley Stadium, with White praised for his performances against Harry Kane.[16][4]

On 15 March 2018, White won the South Wales Argus Player of The Year Award for Newport for the 2017–18 season. At the awards ceremony, manager Mike Flynn described White as "the best loan signing the club has ever made."[17]

After being linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur after initially rejecting a new contract offer at Brighton,[18] White did sign a new long-term contract extension at Brighton in April 2018.[4]

At the start of the 2018–19 season, then-Brighton manager Chris Hughton stated that White would be the club's fourth-choice centre back behind Lewis Dunk, Shane Duffy and Leon Balogun.[19] White however was a regular for Brighton U23s. On Monday 26 November 2018 he set up three goals in the Premier League 2 Division 1 to help The Seagulls U23's to come from 2–0 down to win 3–2 against Swansea U23s.[20] White made the bench for the Premier League for the first time on 8 December 2018, where Brighton lost 1–0 away to Burnley. White remained an unused substitute.[21]

On 3 January 2019, White signed for League One club, Peterborough United on loan until the end of the season.[22] He made his debut for the Peterborough on 5 January 2019 in a 5–0 away loss to Middlesbrough in the third round of the FA Cup.[23] White's first match at the London Road Stadium was also his first League One appearance where he came on in the 88th minute to replace Joe Ward in a 2–1 victory over Rochdale on 12 January.[24]

White scored his first goal for Peterborough — and first in League One — scoring the second goal in a 2–0 home win over a struggling Southend United on 23 March 2019.[25] White played in the final game of the season where Peterborough won 3–1 at home to Burton Albion. However, with Doncaster Rovers winning their match, The Posh just missed out on a play-off spot.[26][27] White finished his loan spell making 16 appearances in all competitions, scoring once.

On 1 July 2019, White signed for Championship club Leeds United on loan until the end of the season. On the same day, White signed a new one-year contract extension at Brighton & Hove Albion.[28] [29][30] He was given the number 5 shirt ahead of the 2019–20 season,[31] and made his debut on the 4 August in Leeds' opening day 3–1 victory against Bristol City.[32]

On 4 September 2019, after impressive performances during the month of August, White won the EFL Championship PFA Player of the Month award for August 2019.[33] In November 2019, it was reported that White was being scouted by Premier League side Liverpool,[34] with Brighton head coach Graham Potter advising that White wouldn't be recalled from Leeds and that his future would be at Brighton at the end of his loan spell.[35]

On 23 December 2019, after continuing his form, White won the EFL Championship Best Young Player award, as voted by Sky Sports readers.[36] White was watched by England Manager Gareth Southgate in January 2020, with Southgate also scouting White's team-mate Kalvin Phillips.[37]

White played in all 46 league games as Leeds were promoted to the Premier League as league champions.[38] He scored his only goal for Leeds in the last game of his loan spell in a 4–0 victory against Charlton Athletic, [39] which was ultimately voted Goal of the Month for July 2020.[40] Following the conclusion of his loan, White won the Leeds' Young Player of the season award[41] and the Yorkshire Evening Post award for Player of the 2019-20 season.[42]

On 8 September 2020, White was named in Professional Footballers' Association's 2019–20 EFL Championship Team of the Season.[43]

Following months of speculation regarding his future, including Brighton rejecting three permanent bids for White from Leeds,[44] White signed a new four-year contract with Brighton on 1 September.[45] On the opening day of the 2020–21 season White made his league debut for The Seagulls in which was also his Premier League debut in a 3–1 home loss against Chelsea where he went off injured.[46] He helped Brighton keep a clean sheet in their next league match, a 3–0 away win at Newcastle on 20 September.[47] White played in The Seagulls FA Cup third round penalty shootout victory over his former loanee club Newport, on 10 January 2021.[48] White played in Brighton's 1–0 away victory over defending champions Liverpool on 3 February claiming their first league win at Anfield since 1982.[49]