FORMER Man United star Aaron Wan-Bissaka has revealed he “struggled” at Old Trafford and travelled back to London “almost every day”.
The right-back joined the Red Devils in 2019 from in a £45million deal.
Credit: GettyHe admitted he was homesick under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and returned to London nearly every dayCredit: Getty
But the international found it hard to adapt and became homesick in Manchester.
Wan-Bissaka would end up spending five seasons with United, winning the and under .
He played nearly 200 times for the club, but still believes his spell in Manchester was “probably the lowest I’d felt”.
He told the Daily Mail : “When I moved to United, I really missed home, my family and friends especially.
“After training, I used to take the train back to London almost every day. It’s only about two hours, but it’s still a big commitment, and eventually it became exhausting, so I knew I had to stop.
“It was something I wasn’t used to at all. I’d always been comfortable at home in London, surrounded by familiar people and places, so for everything to change overnight was difficult to adapt to.
“Most days I’d just be at home alone, playing PlayStation until it was time to sleep. I struggled. It was probably the lowest I’d felt.”
Wan-Bissaka was initially signed by before later working under interim boss and Ten Hag.
He said he found boss Erik ten Hag ‘difficult’ after the Dutchman told him he wasn’t in his plansCredit: Getty
Wan-Bissaka is now back in London with West Ham but feels his spell at United helped him mentallyCredit: Getty
He warmed to Solskjaer, but had difficulties under Rangnick and Ten Hag.
The defender claimed the period under Ten Hag was “difficult” initially after the Dutchman told him he wasn’t in his plans, but refused to let him leave.
He continued: “That was tough mentally, because it left me wondering what I was supposed to do next.”
But after knuckling down in training he managed to work his way back into the starting XI before ending his spell with two trophies.
Wan-Bissaka added: “Eventually things turned around and started to improve. You could say I changed or developed tactically under him, because that was something he wanted.”
The boyhood Palace star is now back in London with after leaving United for around £15m in 2024.
Wan-Bissaka insisted he didn’t regret his time at United because it helped build him up mentally.
He continued: “Looking back on my time at , I’m grateful for it. Those experiences made me who I am today and helped me both on and off the pitch, especially mentally.”
Wan-Bissaka has played 18 times for the Hammers amid their relegation fight this season, grabbing two assists along the way.
He has 56 appearances for the west London club in total, scoring twice last season.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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