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

A Quick Recap

Days after claiming victory in the European Under-21 Championship with the English national team at the conclusion of June, Quansah opted to depart from Liverpool, to go to the Bundesliga side in a multi-million pound transfer.

The significant transfer sum equalled high expectations as the young defender was tasked with finding his feet in a new country and at a team where the turnover was substantial. Erik ten Hag had stepped in to succeed the previous coach and a number of key players were gone or going – chief among them Florian Wirtz, Piero Hincapié, influential figures, prominent athletes, Granit Xhaka, established players and Jonathan Tah.

League Introduction

Quansah's Bundesliga debut came on 23 August at their home ground to Hoffenheim and the central defender scored after five minutes, though the achievement was undercut by tragedy. His primary thought was his former Liverpool teammate, 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, at home, after five minutes, is definitely a whirlwind," Quansah says. "But my overwhelming feeling was that it was a tribute to Diogo."

Initial Struggles

The player could have been excused for questioning what he had committed to at the German club. From the promising start in their first league game, they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat and the following game on 30 August was equally disappointing. The squad threw away comfortable advantages to finish level at 10-man Werder Bremen, the tying goal coming in added time. It was not Ten Hag's team for very long. He was sacked on 1 September.

Staying Focused

Quansah doesn't appear to be the type to fret. If calmness characterizes his playing style, it was on show during the conversation he participated in after joining England for the international friendly against Wales and the qualifying match against Latvia.

Quansah has remained focused under the current coach, the Danish tactician, and persisted in doing what he originally planned to do at the team – play. The new manager has established consistency. His team have three wins and one draw in their domestic campaign along with draws in each of their Champions League ties. But there is a more significant number that encourages Quansah, even bringing a measure of vindication. It is the one which shows he has played every minute of the club's campaign.

International Recognition

It is something that the England head coach has noted. The national team manager 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 Under-21 European Championship, he provided him with a late call-up in the autumn when the experienced defender was forced to withdraw.

Still to win his international debut, Quansah must have impressed sufficiently in practice sessions and within the squad environment because he was named at the outset in the manager's squad selection for the upcoming matches, essentially as a additional defensive option with Stones fit again. The aspiration is a debut. It is one more milestone he would certainly handle with ease.

Decision Making

"At Leverkusen, the club were interested in me for a while and that's not only from the manager [Ten Hag]," Quansah explains. "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 take over ... it was straightforward for me to make that decision.

"We had a numerous squad members leaving and it's consistently challenging when you see important figures leave. It has been tough to establish new hierarchies but the outcomes we have had recently demonstrate that we have got a good squad with quality players. It is going to take time to develop and we are still progressing. But if we are getting results and not losing that is a solid foundation to start."

Liverpool Departure

It had to have been a wrench for Quansah to depart from his long-time club, his team since childhood, where he enjoyed so many memorable moments – such as the Carabao Cup final victory over Chelsea in 2023‑24 when he came on as an extra-time substitute.

Quansah was also involved in last season's domestic championship success. Yet his perspective of most of that achievement was not the perspective he would have chosen. He was an non-playing reserve on 25 occasions in the league, his four starts and nine appearances falling short compared to his statistics from the prior season when he started nine games.

Career Development

"I consistently developed off top-level professionals around me at Liverpool and it's been incredibly beneficial for my professional development," he comments. "But as a young centre-back, you require match experience and I'm going to be needing extensive playing time to be at my desired level.

"I just wanted regular playing opportunities and when you are at a top-level club, it's not promised because there are elite performers throughout the squad. I wanted an environment where they can have confidence that I might make mistakes at certain moments but they will see beyond that and see I can continue developing and improving."

Foundation Building

Quansah recalls his temporary transfer to League One Bristol Rovers in the later part of that season where he debuted at professional level – multiple matches, to be exact. There were "numerous wake-up calls", he notes with a grin, beginning with his debut; a 5-1 defeat at Morecambe.

"That was a true eye-opener," Quansah reflects. "It was a really valuable part of my career because I wanted to make the next step to regular senior competition. Every game I gained fresh insights. That's when I understood how valuable experience and match practice was. You could suggest it informed my decision in the summer."