Aaron Wan-Bissaka has revealed his struggles with loneliness during his time at Manchester United, admitting he “had no one apart from my PlayStation” before his move to West Ham this summer.

The 26-year-old right-back, who was once considered one of the Premier League’s best, made a £45million switch from Crystal Palace to Old Trafford in 2019.

Despite playing 100 games in his first two seasons, he found himself falling out of favour under managers including Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag, starting only 20 times last season. Speaking to the Standard, Wan-Bissaka opened up about his difficult adjustment to life in Manchester, where his video game console provided one of his few comforts.

He 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 spoke about the challenges of living in a smaller city like Manchester, where “everyone’s aware of everything that’s happening.”

Early into his United spell, Wan-Bissaka felt so isolated that he would travel back to London after training, spend a few hours with friends and family, before returning the Manchester the same night.

“It got tiring!” he explained. “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.”

Despite these struggles, Wan-Bissaka, who had only made his senior debut for Palace 18 months prior to joining United, said he took the risk because it could have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Wan-Bissaka has opened up about his departure from Manchester United, following persistent exit rumours, by revealing a joint decision for the move was reached. “I spoke to the club and they thought this opportunity was best for me,” said Wan-Bissaka.

“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.”

Now comfortably settled back in London, Wan-Bissaka appears more at ease and has had an encouraging start with West Ham, playing eight out of their first 10 Premier League matches, despite the team’s difficulties under manager Julen Lopetegui.

His stint at United saw him rack up 190 appearances and clinch two trophies, yet he never quite managed to persuade ex-England manager Gareth Southgate to award him a senior national cap.