Morgan Gibbs-White Abandons Dubai Holiday for England Call-Up
Nottingham Forest player leaves family vacation after teammates withdraw from international duty.
Morgan Gibbs-White's family holiday in Dubai was cut short after just two hours when he received an emergency call-up for the England squad. His fiancee, Britney De Villiers, shared a video on TikTok documenting his departure.
Gibbs-White had initially missed out on manager Thomas Tuchel's squad. However, with five players withdrawing from England duty, an opportunity arose for the Nottingham Forest winger. De Villiers's video showed the couple lip-syncing to the song 'Gotta Go My Own Way' from High School Musical 2 as Gibbs-White prepared to leave.
This represents a significant chance for Gibbs-White, who has six England caps, all as a substitute, with his last appearance in October 2025. He has had a solid start to the season for Nottingham Forest, contributing one goal and two assists.
The players who withdrew from the squad include Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford, and Tino Livramento. Gibbs-White and James Garner have been brought in as replacements.
Sources indicate that Rice withdrew to manage his physical load, while Palmer is dealing with a muscular injury. Rashford has been managing a hip issue since the World Cup, and Mainoo is also reportedly experiencing an unspecified problem. Livramento was previously sidelined with a calf injury and has not yet started a game this season.
Tuchel is expected to address the player withdrawals and Gibbs-White's inclusion at a press conference. He had previously stated that Gibbs-White's initial omission was due to an excess of attacking midfielders in the squad, noting that it made little sense to nominate too many players for similar positions.