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"To an observer, it appears crazy," the young defender says, as he reflects on his summer just gone, 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 his childhood club, 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 finding his feet in a new country and at a club where the turnover was dramatic. Erik ten Hag had stepped in to succeed the previous coach and a host of star performers were gone or going – chief among them several high-profile names, key squad members, Jeremie Frimpong, prominent athletes, experienced professionals, Lukas Hradecky and Jonathan Tah.

League Introduction

Quansah's first league appearance came on August 23rd at home to their opponents and the central defender scored after the opening minutes, albeit the goal was overshadowed by sadness. All he could think about was Diogo Jota, who was killed in a car accident. Quansah executed his teammate's signature celebration as a mark of respect.

"To have a goal on your first Bundesliga match, in front of home fans, 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. From the promising start in their first league game, they fell to a 2-1 defeat and the next match on 30 August was equally disappointing. Ten Hag's team threw away 2-0 and 3-1 leads to finish level at 10-man Werder Bremen, the equaliser coming in stoppage time. It was not Ten Hag's team for very long. His dismissal came on September 1st.

Staying Focused

Quansah does not come across as the kind to worry. If composure characterizes his playing style, it was on show during the conversation he participated in after being selected for England for the Wembley friendly against their rivals and the World Cup qualifier against Latvia.

Quansah has kept his head down under the current coach, Kasper Hjulmand, and continued to do what he always intended to do at the team – compete. The new manager has established consistency. His squad have three wins and one draw in four league matches along with draws in each of their Champions League ties. But there is a broader statistic that encourages Quansah, even bringing a measure of vindication. It is the one which shows he has played every minute of the team's season.

National Team Attention

It is one that the England head coach has noted. The England head coach was a admirer previously, selecting Quansah when he named his first squad. After omitting him in the summer so that Quansah could focus on the youth tournament, he gave him a late call-up in September when the experienced defender was compelled to pull out.

Yet to earn his international debut, Quansah must have impressed sufficiently in practice sessions and within the squad environment because he was named at the beginning in Tuchel's squad selection for the upcoming matches, essentially as a additional defensive option with Stones fit again. The aspiration is a first appearance. It is another thing he would surely handle with ease.

Decision Making

"At Leverkusen, the club were keen on signing me for a considerable time and that's not just from the coach," Quansah says. "Their interest existed prior to his arrival. So knowing it was a sort of internal decision and things would remain consistent with whatever coach was to come in ... it was straightforward for me to choose this path.

"We had a numerous squad members leaving and it's always tough when you lose key players. It has been difficult to build the leadership groups but the results we have had [under Hjulmand] demonstrate that we have got a good squad with talented individuals. It is going to take time to build and we are not where we want to be. But if we are achieving positive outcomes and not losing that is a good place to start."

Liverpool Departure

It had to have been a difficult separation for Quansah to depart from his long-time club, his club from the age of five, where he enjoyed 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 a part of last season's Premier League title triumph. Yet his perspective of most of that achievement was not the one he would have preferred. He was an unused substitute on 25 occasions in the competition, his four starts and nine appearances falling short compared to his numbers from 2023‑24 when he started nine games.

Career Development

"I've always learned off some of the best players around me at Liverpool and it's been so good for my career," he comments. "However, for a developing defender, you require match experience and I'm going to be needing extensive playing time to be where I want to be.

"I just wanted regular playing opportunities and when you are at a top-level club, it's not guaranteed because there are world-class players throughout the squad. I wanted an environment where they can trust that I could errors at times but they will look under that and recognize I can continue developing and improving."

Foundation Building

Quansah remembers his loan to the lower division club in the later part of that season where he made his first senior appearances – multiple matches, to be precise. There were "numerous wake-up calls", he says with a smile, beginning with his first game; a heavy loss at their opponents.

"That represented a genuine revelation," Quansah reflects. "It was a extremely important part of my career because I aimed to take the subsequent progression to regular senior competition. Every game I learned something new. That's where I understood how crucial practical knowledge and match practice was. You could suggest it informed my choice in the summer."