Defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka has reflected on his journey to Manchester United since joining from Crystal Palace in 2019, recalling the early support he received under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the challenges he faced following changes to the bench.
The right-back quickly established himself as a key figure at United, starting more matches than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues in the 2020/21 season.
“My relationship with Olen was good from the start. He’s a great person and we got along really well, and I think the rest of the players felt the same way about him. He’s the kind of coach who supports you straight away. Once he gives you a task, it’s up to you to believe in yourself and go out on the pitch to do it,” he recalls.
However, changes in coaching later tested Wan-Bissaka’s consistency. Under Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag, he faced criticism and uncertainty about his role.
“Of course, it’s football, every coach has his own preferences. You may like them or not, and that’s part of the game. When he (Rangnick) came, it wasn’t the best period for me and there was a lot of criticism around…
“It was difficult when Erik ten Hag came – as soon as he arrived, he told me I wasn’t in his plans. But when I tried to leave, he said he didn’t want me to leave. I didn’t understand. That was difficult mentally because it left me wondering what I should do next.”
“I just kept my head down and told myself to keep training, keep improving and keep playing my game. However, staying motivated was difficult, especially when you’re training without a clear goal to play.”
“But the people around me guided me in the right way and encouraged me to keep going. Over time, things changed and started to improve. You could say I changed or developed tactically under his guidance, because that was something he was looking for,” Aaron concluded.
Wan-Bissaka then decided to leave in 2024 to join West Ham United.