Aaron Wan-Bissaka has opened up about feeling homesick after joining Manchester United and the challenges he faced under Erik ten Hag ahead of his 2024 exit.
Following a transfer worth £50 million from Crystal Palace in 2019, Aaron Wan-Bissaka went on to make 190 appearances for Manchester United between 2019 and 2024.
Wan-Bissaka won two trophies during his time at Old Trafford, including the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.
The DR Congo international has been playing for West Ham since leaving the north west.
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Michael Carrick giving instructions to Aaron Wan-Bissaka in 2019
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Aaron Wan-Bissaka was lonely at Man Utd
Wan-Bissaka left United after five years in a £15m deal, which means the club made a significant loss on the right-back.
The 28-year-old made a goal-line clearance in United’s 1-1 draw with West Ham earlier this month as he continues to haunt his former club since moving on.
However, it hasn’t been plain sailing for Wan-Bissaka at West Ham, with the Irons finding themselves in a relegation scrap this season.
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The Hammers are currently 18th in the Premier League table ahead of a trip to Liverpool on Saturday.
Reflecting on his mega-money transfer to United from Crystal Palace, Wan-Bissaka has told the Daily Mail that he felt lonely and homesick.
“When I moved to United, I really missed home, my family and friends especially,” Wan-Bissaka said.
“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.”
The former United right-back went on to explain that he always had a good relationship with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but also admitted that he faced challenges under Erik ten Hag.
“It was difficult when Erik ten Hag arrived – as soon as he did, he told me I wasn’t in his plans,” Wan-Bissaka added.
“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.”
His relationship with Ten Hag improved before he left the club, especially when the team lifted the Carabao Cup after beating Newcastle at Wembley.
He continued: “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.”
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Aaron Wan-Bissaka believes Michael Carrick deserves Man Utd job
Michael Carrick was part of Solskjaer’s coaching staff when Wan-Bissaka signed for United.
The 44-year-old was also interim manager for a short period after Solskjaer’s dismissal.
Wan-Bissaka spoke highly when asked about Carrick in the same interview and suggested that he deserves to remain head coach beyond this season.
He said: “He’s someone you can trust.
“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.”
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