Football

Man Utd star Aaron Wan-Bissaka nicknamed The Spider – and looks like a hero in the making


SPIDER-MAN looked a Marvel on his Manchester United debut.

Now Red Devils fans will be hoping he can deliver some superhero displays back at Old Trafford.

 Aaron Wan-Bissaka shows his special tackling style as he gets stuck into Perth glory ace Ivan Franjic during Man Utd's 2-0 win

4

Aaron Wan-Bissaka shows his special tackling style as he gets stuck into Perth glory ace Ivan Franjic during Man Utd’s 2-0 win
 Man Utd new boy Aaron Wan-Bissaka got his nickname for the way he tackled then team-mate Wilfried Zaha in Palace training

4

Man Utd new boy Aaron Wan-Bissaka got his nickname for the way he tackled then team-mate Wilfried Zaha in Palace training

Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 21, is nicknamed ‘The Spider’ for the way his long legs hook the ball away from opponents.

There was evidence of that on Saturday when he made an impressive bow in the second half of United’s 2-0 win over Perth Glory.

His stats read well, too — 35 out of 37 passes completed, five out of five tackles won, one key pass delivered and his only aerial challenge won.

Some start for the £50million full-back bought from Crystal Palace last month.

So what of those spider tackles as he slides in and takes the ball away from a bemused opponent?

With VAR watching over the Prem this season, he will have to make sure they are timed to perfection, particularly in the penalty box.

But this is a young player with supreme confidence in his ability to pull it off every time.

Wan-Bissaka said: “I don’t think I learnt it, I think it is just the range of the legs.

“I realised when I was 18 I just had the length, so I use it to my advantage.

“You have got to time it well to make the tackles, but that comes down to concentration.

‘I WANT TO BE PUSHED’

“You can’t afford to gamble with it, you have to time it well. After every tackle it gives me confidence.”

The Croydon-born right-back has emerged from a tough summer in which he was part of an England Under-21 side dumped from the Euro Championships after just two group games.

His injury-time own goal in the opening game against France immediately put the Young Lions on the back foot as they went down 2-1.

Boss Aidy Boothroyd claimed the speculation surrounding a move to Old Trafford was affecting the player.

But Wan-Bissaka disagreed. He said: “I haven’t spoken to him about that.

“It wasn’t difficult. I do not focus on speculation, I just keep my head down and keep doing it on the pitch.

“It is easy for me to block out, the main thing is just playing football.”

Wan-Bissaka was given extra time off by United because of the Euros, but he insisted on coming back ahead of schedule in order to fly to Australia with the rest of the squad.

He immediately integrated into the United camp and went down a storm on a night out when he had to do the traditional initiation ceremony of singing to the group.

 England Under-21s star Aaron Wan-Bissaka shadows Perth Glory's Uruguayan striker Bruno Fournaroli on his fine debut for Man Utd

4

England Under-21s star Aaron Wan-Bissaka shadows Perth Glory’s Uruguayan striker Bruno Fournaroli on his fine debut for Man UtdCredit: Getty Images – Getty
 Aaron Wan-Bissaka will hope to be an instant starter for Man Utd when the Premier League starts

4

Aaron Wan-Bissaka will hope to be an instant starter for Man Utd when the Premier League startsCredit: Alamy Live News

He chose a rap song by Meek Mill and admits singing was more nerve-racking than his debut a few nights later.

Wan-Bissaka revealed: “I’ll stick to what I know, and that is football.

“Everyone at the club has welcomed me. I was surprised when I walked in, everyone has been talking to me, encouraging me with advice. That has helped me a lot.

“It’s always good to get that first game — that is what I was looking forward to.”

Asked what has been the biggest change since his move from Palace, he replied: “I would say the style of play, the way they work, the intensity.

“That is going to develop me as a player. I want to be pushed to reach my potential.”

It is a potential recognised already by one of United’s most famous full-backs.

Denis Irwin, who has been in Perth, said: “He is very quick, a modern-day full-back in the fact that he was a winger and has played very, very well in the 15 months that I have seen him at Crystal Palace in a defensive role.

“There is a lot more pressure on him now but hopefully he will be able to handle that.

“We needed a bit of pace and youth in the team.

“You have got to ignore the fee. I think £50m for a full-back is going to become the norm.”

United play their second match of this tour in Perth on Wednesday against Leeds.

Man United risk missing out on £70m Bruno Fernandes transfer as board ‘refuse to bend to Solskjaer’s demands’





READ SOURCE

Leave a Reply

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies.