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"To an observer, it appears crazy," the young defender remarks, as he looks back on his recent summer, when dizzying change felt like a constant. "However, that's just how it goes ... football is a unpredictable game."

A Quick Recap

Shortly after claiming victory in the U21 European Championship with the English national team at the conclusion of June, Quansah decided to leave Liverpool, to go to the Bundesliga side in a multi-million pound transfer.

The significant transfer sum equalled big pressure as the young defender was tasked with settling in in a foreign land and at a team where the churn was substantial. The new manager had stepped in to replace the previous coach and a number of star performers were gone or going – including Florian Wirtz, key squad members, Jeremie Frimpong, Amine Adli, Granit Xhaka, established players and team leaders.

League Introduction

Quansah's Bundesliga debut came on 23 August at home to Hoffenheim and the centre-half scored after the opening minutes, albeit the achievement was overshadowed by tragedy. All he could think about was Diogo Jota, who was tragically lost in a road incident. Quansah performed Jota's gamer celebration as a mark of respect.

"Scoring on your Bundesliga debut, at home, after five minutes, is certainly a whirlwind," Quansah states. "However, my dominant emotion was that it was a tribute to Diogo."

Initial Struggles

The player could have been excused for questioning what he had signed up for at Leverkusen. After the encouraging beginning in their first league game, they fell to a 2-1 defeat and the next match on 30 August was just as bad. The squad squandered comfortable advantages to draw 3-3 at their reduced opponents, the tying goal coming in stoppage time. It was no longer his responsibility for very long. He was sacked on September 1st.

Staying Focused

Quansah doesn't appear to be the type to fret. If composure defines his game, it was on show during the interview he gave after joining England for the international friendly against their rivals and the qualifying match against Latvia.

Quansah has kept his head down under the current coach, the Danish tactician, and persisted in doing what he originally planned to do at the team – compete. Hjulmand has established consistency. His squad have positive results in four league matches along with draws in each of their European matches. But there is a more significant number that encourages Quansah, even bringing a sense of justification. It is the fact that demonstrates he has played every minute of the club's campaign.

National Team Attention

It is one that Thomas Tuchel has observed. The national team manager was a admirer last season, including him when he announced his initial selection. After leaving him out in the summer so that Quansah could focus on the Under-21 European Championship, he gave him a last-minute inclusion in September when John Stones was compelled to pull out.

Still to win his first cap, Quansah must have impressed sufficiently in practice sessions and around the camp because he was selected at the outset in the manager's 24‑man group for the upcoming matches, effectively as a additional defensive option with Stones fit again. The dream is a first appearance. It is one more milestone he would surely take in his stride.

Career Choices

"At Leverkusen, the club were keen on signing me for a while and that's not just from the coach," Quansah explains. "They were interested prior to his arrival. So knowing it was a type of organizational choice and nothing would change with which manager was to come in ... it was straightforward for me to make that decision.

"There were a numerous squad members leaving and it's consistently challenging when you lose key players. It has been difficult to establish new hierarchies but the outcomes we have had recently demonstrate that we have got a competitive team with talented individuals. It is requiring patience to develop and we are not where we want to be. But if we are getting results and not losing that is a solid foundation to begin from."

Leaving Childhood Club

It had to have been a wrench for Quansah to leave Liverpool, his club from the age of five, where he experienced so many memorable moments – such as the league cup triumph over their London rivals in 2023‑24 when he came on as an extra-time substitute.

Quansah was also involved in last season's Premier League title triumph. Yet his perspective of most of that achievement was not the one he would have chosen. He was an non-playing reserve on multiple matches in the league, his limited playing time falling short compared to his statistics from the prior season when he featured more regularly.

Professional Growth

"I've always learned off some of the best players around me at Liverpool and it's been so good for my professional development," he comments. "However, for a developing defender, you need games and I'm will require extensive playing time to be at my desired level.

"I just wanted game time and when you are at a team like Liverpool, it's not guaranteed because there are elite performers all over the pitch. I wanted somewhere where they can have confidence that I could errors at times but they will see beyond that and recognize I can continue developing and improving."

Early Experience

Quansah recalls his temporary transfer to League One Bristol Rovers in the second-half of 2022-23 where he made his first senior appearances – multiple matches, to be exact. There were "multiple reality checks", he says with a grin, beginning with his first game; a heavy loss at their opponents.

"That represented a genuine revelation," Quansah reflects. "It was a extremely important chapter in my development because I wanted to make the subsequent progression to regular senior competition. Every game I learned something new. That's when I knew how valuable practical knowledge and playing games was. You could suggest it informed my decision in the off-season."