'It was difficult when Erik ten Hag arrived' - Former Man Utd ace Aaron Wan-Bissaka hits out at mixed messages from Dutch manager prior to West Ham move

Wan-Bissaka is remembered by United fans for his outstanding one-v-one defending ability although he struggled to lock down his place in the team, having an intriguing battle with Diogo Dalot until deciding to leave Old Trafford in 2024 to join the Hammers in a £15 move. In his five seasons he started 120 out of a potential 190 Premier League matches. He signed off with two goals and 13 assists in all competitions, winning the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.

Speaking to The Daily Mail, Wan-Bissaka has opened up on his time at United and made some intriguing revelations about his relationship with his coaches.

Wan Bissaka said: "It was difficult when Erik ten Hag arrived - as soon as he did, he told me I wasn’t in his plans. But when I tried to leave, he said he didn’t want me to go. I couldn't understand it. That was tough mentally, because it left me wondering what I was supposed to do next. I just kept my head down and told myself to keep training, keep improving, and play my game. 

"Staying motivated was hard though, especially when you’re training without the clear goal of playing. But the people around me guided me in the right way and encouraged me to keep going. Eventually things turned around and started to improve. You could say I changed or developed tactically under him, because that was something he wanted."

Solskjaer was the manager who signed Wan-Bissaka in the same summer that Harry Maguire arrived for £80m. The right-back said he and the whole squad got on with the Norwegian, who he worked with for two full seasons and the first four months of the 2021-22 campaign, when Solskjaer was sacked as results spiralled out of control. Ralf Rangnick replaced Solskjaer until the end of the season and the Austrian coach did not show much faith in Wan-Bissaka.

He explained: 'My relationship with Ole 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 about him. He’s the kind of manager who backs you straight away. Once he gives you a job to do, it’s up to you to trust yourself and go out and deliver it. 

" Obviously, it’s football, every manager has their preferences. They might like you or they might not, and that’s just part of the game. When he (Rangnick) came in, it wasn’t the best period for me and there was a lot of criticism around…"

Wan-Bissaka worked with Michael Carrick for the three matches between Solskjaer leaving and Rangnick arriving. United beat Arsenal and Villarreal while drawing at Chelsea. Carrick has picked up where he left off since succeeding Ruben Amorim in January, winning five out of his matches including beating Manchester City and Arsenal. And Wan-Bissaka believes the former United midfielder should be given the job on a permanent basis.

"He's someone you can trust," Wan-Bissaka said. "He will also trust you back if you buy into him and what he's looking to do. If you trust him, he will trust you. 'He was quite simple in what he wanted from you. The boys were happy with him and the games he had when he was the manager. With him back at the club now, they are in a good place as a team. I think he should be given the full-time role. I think he deserves it."