- Aaron Wan-Bissaka spent five seasons at Man United after signing for £45m
- He fell down the pecking order at the club and joined West Ham in the summer
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Aaron Wan-Bissaka has admitted that he struggled with loneliness during his time at Manchester United.
Wan-Bissaka was regarded as one of the best right-backs in the Premier League when United paid £45m to bring him to Old Trafford from Crystal Palace.
Only 21 when he joined, he went straight into the starting XI and made 100 appearances in his first two seasons.
The Englishman started less regularly in the years that followed and left the club in the summer, joining West Ham in a £15m deal.
Reflecting on his time at United, he told The Standard: ‘It was difficult. Very difficult.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has admitted that he struggled with loneliness at Manchester United
‘I went on my own and it was my first time moving away from home. I had no one up there, apart from my PlayStation.
‘Because Manchester’s smaller, everyone’s aware of everything that’s happening. You have to be mentally strong to avoid the negative stuff it comes with.’
Wan-Bissaka missed home so much that he would travel back to London after training before returning up north on the same night.
But the full-back eventually grew tired of all the travelling and began to settle in to his new surroundings.
Wan-Bissaka added: ‘I came back as a man. More mature, more grounded, more focused.’
Wan-Bissaka spent five seasons at Old Trafford before joining West Ham in the summer
Speaking on his decision to leave, he said: ‘I spoke to the club and they thought this opportunity was best for me.
”They gave me some time to think about it. In the moment, I didn’t, but I spoke to family and friends about it and we all decided it was the right time.’
