Aaron Wan-Bissaka Opens Up About Loneliness After £45m Move to Manchester United
When Aaron Wan-Bissaka moved from Crystal Palace to Manchester United in 2019 for £45 million ($58 million), he disclosed the personal struggles he had. The 21-year-old right-back, who is currently with West Ham, talked about how hard it was to get used to life in Manchester, acknowledging that his sole companion in those early days was his PlayStation.
Struggles Settling In
Speaking to The Standard, Wan-Bissaka said: “It was difficult. 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.”
He also highlighted the unique pressures of living in a city where everything is closely observed: “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.”
Frequent Trips to London
Wan-Bissaka felt so isolated that he would often travel back to London after training to spend time with friends and family, only to return to Manchester the same night. Reflecting on this, he said: “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.”
