Aaron Wan-Bissaka says he had "no one apart from his PlayStation" following his move to Manchester United as he opened up on his loneliness there.
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Wan-Bissaka joined Man Utd aged 21Struggled with loneliness in ManchesterHad "no one apart from my PlayStation"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The right-back swapped Crystal Palace for United in 2019 for £45 million ($58m) and while this was a dream move for the then-21-year-old, Wan-Bissaka found it tough settling in Manchester. The now West Ham player has admitted it was "very difficult" getting used to his new surroundings.
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He told The Standard: “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.
“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.”
The report adds Wan-Bissaka felt so isolated he would travel back to London after training most afternoons and spend a few hours with friends and family – before returning to Manchester the same night.
He added: “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.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Wan-Bissaka headed back to London this summer, this time to join West Ham in a £15m ($19m) move. It seems the 26-year-old is now in a better place following his switch to the Hammers.
He added: “I came back as a man. More mature, more grounded, more focused.”
AFPWHAT NEXT?
The former England Under-21 international could feature for West Ham on Saturday at home to Everton in a battle between 14th and 16th respectively in the Premier League.