Aaron Wan-Bissaka has once again been proving himself as one of the best defensive players in the Premier League this season.
Wan-Bissaka hasn’t played as regularly as he would be expecting but with the Red Devils’ defenders picking up injuries, he has taken advantage of their absence.
With every appearance he makes, fans are reminded of the 25-year-old’s special tackling ability that sees him known as one of the best one-on-one defenders in the country.
And that is where his nickname originates from…
Why is Wan-Bissaka called ‘The Spider’?
Wan-Bissaka has been given the nickname ‘The Spider’ due to his tackling ability.
He is known as one of the best defensive right-backs in the league and has built a strong reputation for himself at Man United.
Explaining the nickname in 2019, he said: “’The Spider’ is about the range and length of my legs when I’m lunging to tackle the ball. That’s where the nickname comes from.”
It was in training against former teammate Wilfried Zaha at Crystal Palace that earnt Wan-Bissaka the nickname.
He told the Man United club website: “That is when I realised my actual strengths, from playing against Zaha.
“It was not easy and it was always a challenge, but at the same time it helped me and made me realise what it is to play against players like him in the Premier League.
“Now I would say my best attributes are dribbling, speed and tackling.”
And this season, the pair met in the top flight, with Wan-Bissaka pulling off an incredible tackle to deny Zaha who was seemingly one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
Speaking after Crystal Palace’s 1-1 draw against Man United in January, Zaha said: “Any other player…
“As I’m running through, I had a little look back and I thought ‘oh my God…it’s Aaron’. He’s the only one that can do a scoop tackle. So it was a great tackle.”
Wan-Bissaka has had to compete with Diogo Dalot for his starting position and it has led to less regular football this campaign.
With attacking full backs more desired in modern football, the Man United defender has seen the pitch less often but he remains a great example of a tackler, so much so, he is nicknamed because of it!
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