[Charlotte Daly] AARON WAN-BISSAKA INTERVIEW: I was at my lowest point at Manchester United – I was lonely, homesick and went back to London almost every day. Then Erik ten Hag’s mixed messages left me totally confused

__Relevant bits about United:__

__’When I moved to United, I really missed home, my family and friends especially,’__ he reveals. __’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’s big-money arrival from Palace in 2019 – which coincided with a first England call-up, though he was never capped due to injury – came with a mountain of expectation. But he quickly became a fixture in the United XI, starting more matches than any player across Europe’s top-five leagues in 2020-21.

His __early relationship with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer offered reassurance amid his struggles off the pitch.__

__’My relationship with Ole was good from the start,’__ he recalls. __’He’s a great person and we got along really well, and I think the rest of the players felt the same about him. He’s the kind of manager who backs you straight away. Once he gives you a job to do, it’s up to you to trust yourself and go out and deliver it.’__

Managerial turnover would later test that security, particularly under Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag.

__’Obviously, it’s football, every manager has their preferences,’__ he says. __’They might like you or they might not, and that’s just part of the game. When he (Rangnick) came in, it wasn’t the best period for me and there was a lot of criticism around…__

__’It was difficult when Erik ten Hag arrived – as soon as he did, he told me I wasn’t in his plans. But when I tried to leave, he said he didn’t want me to go. I couldn’t understand it. That was tough mentally, because it left me wondering what I was supposed to do next.__

__’I just kept my head down and told myself to keep training, keep improving, and play my game. Staying motivated was hard though, especially when you’re training without the clear goal of playing.__

__’But the people around me guided me in the right way and encouraged me to keep going. Eventually things turned around and started to improve. You could say I changed or developed tactically under him, because that was something he wanted.’__

__Clarity, he says, is invaluable. And something the right back received from Michael Carrick. He speaks highly of United’s recently-appointed interim boss, praising the simplicity of his messaging during his previous caretaker spell in 2021.__

No wonder, then, that he __backs Carrick to be given the permanent job after such an impressive start second time around.__

__’He’s someone you can trust,’__ says Wan-Bissaka. __’He will also trust you back if you buy into him and what he’s looking to do. If you trust him, he will trust you.__

__’He was quite simple in what he wanted from you. The boys were happy with him and the games he had when he was the manager. With him back at the club now, they are in a good place as a team. I think he should be given the full-time role. I think he deserves it.’__

If Manchester represented pressure and growth, West Ham has provided renewal. The move back to London offered proximity to family and a fresh football environment.

__’I was in two minds (about moving initially), to be honest,’ he says. ‘I had a year left on my contract, but I felt I needed to get back on my feet and start playing regularly – not just every couple of games.__

__’Looking back on my time at Manchester United, I’m grateful for it. Those experiences made me who I am today and helped me both on and off the pitch, especially mentally.__

__’With all the noise and scrutiny at a club like United, a change of environment can make a big difference. At West Ham, it’s not as intense… I’ve been really happy with how things have been going. You can probably tell from the smile on my face every day. I am playing with a smile too.’__

Unfortunate but matter of fact is that most these players saying how they struggled here just could not hack it with the pressure and the stature of the job.

He never had the mentality to stay here for long, as much as I like spider wan… bro just wilted visibly

It’s a shame to hear that he struggled with the move. It’s hard to blame him for missing home. Anyone with compassion can relate.

It doesn’t change the fact that he wasn’t up to the standard and we spent way too much on a one dimensional player – £50M for a fullback is a lot today, but spending that in 2019 is madness.

On top of it, he never *really* stayed focused off the ball. He’d take up bad positions and get beat. I remember watching him fail to close during the Liverpool thrashing and against Villarreal. He had some shocking moments in him.

Overall, going back to London was a good outcome for all parties. Let’s hope we’re a bit more shrewd in the transfer market onwards.

Ten Hag left everyone confused tbf