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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

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

The big fee 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 taken over to succeed Xabi Alonso and a number of star performers were departing or already left – chief among them Florian Wirtz, Piero Hincapié, Jeremie Frimpong, prominent athletes, Granit Xhaka, Lukas Hradecky and Jonathan Tah.

Bundesliga Debut

Quansah's first league appearance came on 23 August at home to their opponents and the centre-half scored after five minutes, though the achievement was overshadowed by sadness. All he could think about was his former Liverpool teammate, who was tragically lost in a road incident. Quansah executed Jota's gamer celebration as a tribute.

"Scoring on your first Bundesliga match, at home, after five minutes, is definitely a whirlwind," Quansah states. "But my overwhelming feeling was that it was a homage to Diogo."

Initial Struggles

The defender 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 narrow loss and the next match on August 30th was equally disappointing. Ten Hag's team threw away comfortable advantages to draw 3-3 at their reduced opponents, the equaliser coming in stoppage time. It was no longer his responsibility for much longer. His dismissal came on September 1st.

Staying Focused

Quansah doesn't appear to be the kind to worry. If composure defines his game, it was evident during the conversation he gave after joining the national team for the international friendly against their rivals and the World Cup qualifier against their next opponents.

Quansah has remained focused under the current coach, the Danish tactician, and continued to do what he originally planned to do at the team – compete. 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 European matches. 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 Thomas Tuchel has observed. The national team manager was a admirer previously, including him when he announced his initial selection. After omitting him in June so that Quansah could focus on the youth tournament, he gave him a last-minute inclusion in the autumn when John Stones was forced to withdraw.

Yet to earn his international debut, Quansah must have done something right in practice sessions and around the camp because he was selected at the outset in Tuchel's squad selection for Wales and Latvia, effectively as a additional defensive option with Stones fit again. The aspiration is a debut. 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 manager [Ten Hag]," Quansah explains. "Their interest existed prior to his arrival. So understanding it was a type of internal decision and things would remain consistent with which manager was to take over ... it was straightforward for me to choose this path.

"There were a lot of players departing and it's consistently challenging when you see important figures leave. It has been difficult to establish new hierarchies but the results we have had recently show that we have developed 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 avoiding defeats that is a good place to start."

Liverpool Departure

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 2023‑24 when he was introduced as an late replacement.

Quansah was also a part of the previous campaign's domestic championship success. Yet his perspective of much of that was not the one he would have preferred. He was an unused substitute on multiple matches in the league, his four starts and nine appearances comparing unfavourably with his statistics from the prior season when he started nine games.

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 says. "But as a young centre-back, you need games and I'm will require extensive playing time to be where I want to be.

"My primary desire was regular playing opportunities and when you are at a team like Liverpool, it's not promised because there are world-class players all over the pitch. I wanted somewhere 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 pushing."

Foundation Building

Quansah remembers his loan to the lower division club in the later part of that season where he debuted at professional level – multiple matches, to be precise. There were "numerous wake-up calls", he notes with a smile, beginning with his debut; a 5-1 defeat at Morecambe.

"That represented a true eye-opener," Quansah reflects. "It proved a really valuable part of my career because I aimed to take the next step to playing first-team football. Each match I learned something new. That's where I understood how crucial practical knowledge and playing games was. You could say it informed my choice in the off-season."