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"To an observer, it appears insane," the young defender says, as he reflects on his recent summer, when dizzying change felt like a constant. "But it is one of them ... football is a crazy game."

A Quick Recap

Shortly after claiming victory in the U21 European Championship with England at the end of June, Quansah opted to depart from Liverpool, to join the Bundesliga side in a £30m deal.

The big fee equalled high expectations as the young defender was charged with settling in in a new country and at a club where the churn was substantial. Erik ten Hag had taken over to replace Xabi Alonso and a number of key players were departing or already left – including Florian Wirtz, Piero Hincapié, Jeremie Frimpong, prominent athletes, experienced professionals, established players and Jonathan Tah.

League Introduction

Quansah's Bundesliga debut came on 23 August at home to Hoffenheim and the centre-half scored after the opening minutes, though the goal was overshadowed by tragedy. His primary thought was Diogo Jota, who was tragically lost in a road incident. Quansah executed his teammate's signature celebration as a mark of respect.

"To have a goal on your Bundesliga debut, in front of home fans, after five minutes, is certainly a whirlwind," Quansah states. "But my overwhelming feeling was that it was a tribute to Diogo."

Early Challenges

The defender 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 narrow loss and the following game on August 30th was just as bad. Ten Hag's team threw away 2-0 and 3-1 leads to draw 3-3 at 10-man Werder Bremen, the tying goal coming in stoppage time. It was no longer his responsibility for much longer. 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 evident during the conversation he gave after being selected for England for the Wembley friendly against their rivals and the qualifying match against Latvia.

Quansah has kept his head down under the current coach, the Danish tactician, and continued to do what he always intended to do at the team – compete. Hjulmand has brought stability. His squad have positive results in their domestic campaign along with ties in each of their European matches. But there is a broader statistic that motivates the player, even bringing a measure of vindication. It is the one which shows he has been ever-present of the team's season.

National Team Attention

It is something that the England head coach has noted. The England head coach was a fan last season, including him when he announced his initial selection. After leaving him out in June so that Quansah could focus on the youth tournament, he provided him with a last-minute inclusion in the autumn when John Stones 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 the regular starter returning. The aspiration is a debut. It is another thing he would certainly take in his stride.

Decision Making

"At Leverkusen, the club were keen on signing me for a considerable time and that's not just from the manager [Ten Hag]," Quansah explains. "They were interested before he got appointed. So understanding it was a type of internal decision and nothing would change with whatever coach was to take over ... it was easy 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 tough to build the leadership groups but the results we have had [under Hjulmand] show that we have developed a competitive team with quality players. It is going to take time to develop and we are not where we want to be. But if we are achieving positive outcomes and avoiding defeats that is a solid foundation to start."

Leaving Childhood Club

It had to have been a wrench for Quansah to depart from Liverpool, his team since childhood, where he experienced so many memorable moments – such as the Carabao Cup final victory over their London rivals in the previous season 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 perspective he would have preferred. He was an non-playing reserve on multiple matches in the competition, his limited playing time comparing unfavourably with his numbers from 2023‑24 when he featured more regularly.

Career Development

"I've always learned off some of the best players around me at my former club 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 where I want to be.

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

Early Experience

Quansah remembers his loan to League One Bristol Rovers in the later part of that season where he made his first senior appearances – 16 of them, to be exact. There were "numerous wake-up calls", he says with a grin, starting with his debut; a 5-1 defeat at their opponents.

"That represented a true eye-opener," Quansah reflects. "It was a really valuable part of my career because I aimed to take the next step to regular senior competition. Every game I learned something new. That's where I knew how crucial experience and match practice was. You could say it informed my decision in the summer."