Aaron Wan-Bissaka's Manchester United career never recovered from flashpoint with Fred
In all of those behind-closed-doors matches Manchester United played over a relentless 10-month period, the only regular starter nobody ever heard was Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
At an Adidas sponsorship event in Singapore three years ago, Wan-Bissaka declined to answer trivial questions and a United staff member conceded it did not 'look good'. A headline in Singapore's The New Paper said: 'United's rising star is a shy Wan'.
The previous day, Wan-Bissaka's sliding tackles against Inter Milan prompted chants of 'Bissaka' from an admiring crowd. On his third appearance, that was the most he ever bonded with some United supporters.
READ MORE: Dalot part of Ten Hag's plans
Back then, Wan-Bissaka's discomfort could be forgiven. He had not been exposed to such scrutiny with Crystal Palace and it is those non-playing days on tour where the sheer size of United dawns on a newly-signed player. Wan-Bissaka recovered from a difficult time settling in the north-west to enjoy a positive first season.
On his only overseas tour in the mixed zone in Perth, Wan-Bissaka was asked an innocuous question about the childhood photograph of him wearing a United shirt. "Do I have to answer that?" he asked the United press officer.
Those were tell-tale signs Wan-Bissaka did not have the personality aligned with a true United player. He barely fit the 'cultural reset' criteria of 'X-factor' transfer targets who were humble off the pitch and arrogant as soon as they pulled on the shirt.
United did Wan-Bissaka no favours with the infamous 804 long-list of right-backs they purportedly scouted before settling on the most obvious target. Staff at United regret the specificity of that briefing.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his staff quickly became dissatisfied