Aheed Abrar
Aaron Wan-Bissaka reveals how he got back into Manchester United starting lineup
Manchester United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka has revealed that he just put his head down and got to work to make a place in Erik ten Hag’s plans last season.
Last summer, the Dutch manager was appointed in the Red Devils’ dugout after his departure from Ajax Amsterdam. Subsequently, the 25-year-old right-back found himself on the bench in the first half of the season.
Before the 2022 World Cup, the English national had played just four minutes for the Old Trafford side in the 2022/23 term. Diogo Dalot was the gaffer’s preferred choice in the backline.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Wan-Bissaka admitted that it was a difficult period for him. However, the defender never lost hope and just kept on working to get the best out of himself.
“It was a hard time and the only thing you can do during a hard time is keep working. It’s quite hard to motivate yourself to train hard. Because you be telling yourself, ‘What am I training for? When I’m not gonna be playing.’ But I just had the mindset, I’ll train for myself. Just to get the best out of myself.”
After the prestigious tournament in Qatar, the Portuguese right-back came back to United with an injury. Subsequently, the former Crystal Palace star got his opportunity to shine.
Wan-Bissaka took the chances he was given by Ten Hag with both hands. He put in some memorable performances, like in the 2-0 Carabao Cup win over Burnley or when he went up against Kaoru Mitoma in the FA Cup semi-finals.
While Dalot was the gaffer’s preferred option at the start of the campaign, the English national seemed to have pipped the former FC Porto star in the pecking order by the end of the season.
The defender ended up making 34 appearances in all competitions for the Old Trafford side, providing one assist. He started in eight of the Red Devils’ last 10 matches in the Premier League.
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Ten Hag has a decision to make now ahead of the start of the 2023/24 term against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Whether Wan-Bissaka will keep his place in the team remains to be seen.
