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Aaron Wan-Bissaka has reflected on his tough spell at Manchester United and revealed how he initially felt isolated and “had no one apart from my PlayStation”.
The West Ham defender returned to London last summer in a £15m deal after five years at Old Trafford, featuring in 190 appearances following his £45m move.
The 26-year-old broke through at Crystal Palace in 2017 but struggled to thrive amid a chaotic period at the club.
Wan-Bissaka was signed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before time under Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag.
But he now concedes he lacked support when moving away from London as a 21-year-old.
“It was difficult,” Wan-Bissaka explains in an interview with the Standard. “Very difficult. I went [to Manchester] on my own and it was my first time moving away from home.
“I had no one up there, apart from my PlayStation. It got tiring! It wasn’t the right idea for me to be doing that. I had to try and settle up there, and I ended up doing that.”
“I came back as a man,” he says. “More mature, more grounded, more focused.”
Wan-Bissaka has quickly carved out a place in Julen Lopetegui’s side, despite mixed results for the Hammers, but has opened up on his delight at securing a move to the London Stadium.
“First of all, it was in London. I’m familiar with this and the area. It feels amazing to be home, closer to friends and family and where I grew up,” Wan-Bissaka told the club’s website. “I missed the lifestyle, the things I could do outside of football and going out.
“Everyone was happy [that I was coming back to London], and I received a lot of messages from people, and I could feel the support.
“When I spoke to the Head Coach [Julen Lopetegui] about the project that he has with this Club, it made sense for me to come here. I’m also willing to learn the history behind this Club as it’s a huge club in London.
“He [Lopetegui] has an aim of what he wants, where he wants to take this Club, what he wants to do with these players and how he wants to play. It’s very exciting for everyone”.
The right-back will be in action in a crunch game with Everton, with both sides lingering near the relegation zone after 10 matches of the 2024/25 season.
