West Ham United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka was delighted to be presented with a special Premier League award at Rush Green training ground after making his 200th appearance in the competition against Everton earlier this month.
The 27-year-old has gone strength to strength since his maiden top-flight outing for boyhood side Crystal Palace, in a narrow 1-0 defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur in February 2018.
Drafted into the first-team fold amidst numerous injury problems at Selhurst Park, Wan-Bissaka - then just 20 - impressed Roy Hodgson enough to start each of the Eagles’ following five fixtures, as well as the 2017/18 season-ending 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.
After turning out a further 35 times in the Premier League for Palace in the next campaign, and notching three assists, the Croydon native secured a high-profile move to Manchester United in June 2019, where he went on to feature 130 times in the league over five seasons.
Among his personal highlights while at Old Trafford were his 12 goal involvements, including his first two goals in senior football, away at Newcastle in October 2020 and at home to Southampton in February 2021.
Since moving to east London in the summer of 2024, Wan-Bissaka has established himself as a key member of the West Ham squad, appearing in all but one of the team’s 29 Premier League games, including the 1-1 draw at Goodison Park.
He scored in consecutive games in late November, against Newcastle and Arsenal, and has contributed assists at home to Fulham and away at the Gunners so far this calendar year.
His outstanding 1v1 defending has also caught the eye on numerous occasions and led to calls for him to earn senior England honours.
Upon receiving his award, Wan-Bissaka said: “It’s a really proud moment. It’s been over seven years now since that first Premier League game, and to have gone on and done it 200 times is something that was beyond my wildest dreams as a kid.
“I remember being nervous for that first game against Spurs, walking through the tunnel, but then once the game got going I felt comfortable. Thankfully, I was given more chances to prove myself, and I’ve been able to keep going in the competition.
“Over the years, I’ve just tried to enjoy every moment. It’s gone really quick, so it is nice to reflect because it is a big achievement to get to 200. Hopefully there’s still plenty more appearances to come, and I can hit more milestones in years to come!”
Everyone at West Ham United would like to congratulate Aaron on reaching such a significant milestone.
