The Red Devils right-back says taking on an England international in training at Carrington has turned him into a better player.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has named Marcus Rashford as the player he finds it hardest to go up against in Manchester United training, and says taking on the England international has made him into a better player.
The right-back joined United from Crystal Palace last summer in a £45 million deal, and the 22-year-old has enjoyed a robust first season at Old Trafford, making 34 club appearances amid increasing calls for him to win his first senior England cap.
In a fan Q&A on the official club website, Wan-Bissaka says his competencies as a defender have been more suitable by taking on top-class opposition each day in training, especially pacy forward Rashford.
Wan-Bissaka stated of Rashford: “He’s simply so unpredictable. When I first joined United and came up against him in training, he was doing things that I just really didn’t expect.
“I thought he’d go a certain way and he’d go the different way, or I thinking he was about to do one thing and he did another, so he’s actually tricky to play against. I enjoy that though; it’s been clearly good for my own improvement to test myself against him and the other attackers we have at the club.”
Wan-Bissaka additionally revealed which United star of the past he most wished he should play alongside, going for a key midfield member of the Class of ’92 and the treble-winning side of 1999.
He said: “There have been a lot, however I’ll say Paul Scholes. I always loved watching him, in particular his approach and his composure on the ball, however his finishing was special.
“I always used to clearly like watching him playing for United and he’d be great to play alongside.”
Wan-Bissaka’s rise to stardom has been meteoric, going from reserve winger to making his Premier League debut at right-back in February 2018 in a matter of months. Asked for any tips for young players on defending, he stressed a need for commitment and hard work which allowed him to learn a new position in the latter stages of his youth career.
He said: “I only became a defender pretty late in my very own development, and it took a lot of patience. You have to keep working on your self non-stop, you have to keep testing yourself, even if it doesn’t go right.
“It took time for me to get success as a defender so, if you stick with it, eventually it will go right. Push yourself, always have faith and agree with in yourself.”
