Aaron Wan-Bissaka ’s Manchester United resurgence has certainly been one of the stories of the season at Old Trafford.
The £50m defender found himself on the fringes at the start of the campaign and looked certain to be shown the exit door by new boss Erik ten Hag. Now, he finds himself riding the crest of the wave having re-established himself at the club, with his performance in the FA Cup semi-final win over Brighton seeing him labelled as the best one vs one defender in world football.
Taking to Twitter in the aftermath of United’s success over Brighton, Leicester star James Maddison wrote: “He is ridiculously good at one-v-one defending. Probably the best in the world bar none. So many wingers run out of ideas when playing directly against him.”
That is a point previously made by ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher. Speaking earlier into Wan-Bissaka’s stint at Old Trafford, he said: “I actually think Wan-Bissaka is the best one-on-one defender for a full-back in the world. I don't think anyone would get the better of him.”
Now, Wan-Bissaka has responded to those claims and suggested that it is a satisfying feeling knowing that his hard work on the Carrington training pitches is not going unnoticed. Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the Red Devils’ Premier League clash with Aston Villa, he said: “I try not to [take notice of praise] but sometimes you just run into it.
“For me, it’s good to see how people notice the improvement this season and the work that’s been put in so it’s always a nice feeling.”
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It is certainly a hugely impressive turnaround for the ex-Crystal Palace right-back. He was afforded just four minutes of Premier League action ahead of the enforced break for the World Cup.
Since then, he has arguably become the Red Devils’ first-choice. Wan-Bissaka now recognises that he is in a far better place but was left in no doubt that his fortunes would improve eventually.
“Compared to that [earlier in the season], it’s good for myself you know,” he added. “For me, I just wanted to play and express myself on the pitch and to be given that chance, it’s a good feeling.
“I just kept my head down and I think during bad situations, you’ve just got to keep focused and just keep going because they don’t last. That’s what kept me going, I kept telling to myself ‘this isn’t going to last’ and just keep doing what I’m doing.”
Meanwhile, after being probed about the tweet from Maddison following the Brighton win, he suggested that he wasn’t convinced that it was genuine.
The Man United star said: “I just ran into it. I think it was on SportBible when I saw it and didn’t know if it was real or not. They’re some nice words from him you know. I’m just grateful to see things like that and people notice.”
