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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 end of June, Quansah opted to depart from Liverpool, to join the Bundesliga side in a £30m deal.

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. The new manager had taken over to succeed Xabi Alonso and a host of star performers were departing or already left – including several high-profile names, key squad members, influential figures, Amine Adli, experienced professionals, Lukas Hradecky and team leaders.

League Introduction

Quansah's first league appearance came on 23 August at their home ground to their opponents and the central defender found the net after the opening minutes, albeit the goal was overshadowed by tragedy. His primary thought 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 Bundesliga debut, in front of home fans, after five minutes, is definitely a rollercoaster," Quansah states. "However, my dominant emotion was that it was a homage to Diogo."

Early Challenges

The defender could have been excused for questioning what he had signed up for at the German club. From the promising start in their first league game, they fell to a 2-1 defeat and the following game on 30 August was just as bad. The squad squandered comfortable advantages to finish level at their reduced opponents, the tying goal coming in stoppage time. It was no longer his responsibility for very long. His dismissal came on September 1st.

Staying Focused

Quansah doesn't appear to be the kind to worry. If calmness characterizes his playing style, it was evident during the conversation he participated in after joining the national team for the Wembley friendly against their rivals and the qualifying match against their next opponents.

Quansah has kept his head down under the current coach, Kasper Hjulmand, and continued to do what he originally planned to do at the team – play. The new manager has brought stability. His team have three wins and one draw in four league matches 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 fact that demonstrates he has played every minute of the club's campaign.

National Team Attention

It is something that Thomas Tuchel has noted. The national team manager was a fan last season, selecting Quansah when he announced his initial selection. After omitting him in the summer so that Quansah could focus on the Under-21 European Championship, he provided him with a last-minute inclusion in September when John Stones was compelled to pull out.

Yet to earn his first cap, Quansah must have impressed sufficiently in practice sessions and around the camp because he was named at the outset in the manager's squad selection for the upcoming matches, effectively as a fifth centre-back with Stones fit again. The dream is a debut. It is another thing he would surely handle with ease.

Career Choices

"At Leverkusen, the club were keen on signing me for a considerable time and that's not just from the manager [Ten Hag]," Quansah says. "Their interest existed before he got appointed. So knowing it was a sort of internal decision and things would remain consistent with which manager was to come in ... it was easy for me to make that decision.

"We had a numerous squad members departing and it's always tough when you see important figures leave. It has been difficult to establish new hierarchies but the results we have had [under Hjulmand] demonstrate that we have developed a competitive team with talented individuals. 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."

Leaving Childhood Club

It had to have been a difficult separation for Quansah to leave his long-time club, his club from the age of five, where he experienced so many significant occasions – such as the Carabao Cup final victory over their London rivals in the previous season when he was introduced as an late replacement.

Quansah was also involved in the previous campaign's Premier League title triumph. Yet his perspective of much of that was not the one he would have chosen. He was an unused substitute on multiple matches in the league, his four starts and nine appearances falling short compared to his statistics from 2023‑24 when he featured more regularly.

Professional Growth

"I've always learned off top-level professionals around me at my former club and it's been incredibly beneficial for my career," he says. "However, for a developing defender, you require match experience and I'm will require 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 all over the pitch. I wanted somewhere where they can trust that I could errors at certain moments but they will see beyond that and recognize I can continue developing and improving."

Early Experience

Quansah remembers his loan to League One Bristol Rovers 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 grin, beginning with his first game; a 5-1 defeat at their opponents.

"That was a true eye-opener," Quansah reflects. "It proved a extremely important part of my career because I wanted to make the next step to playing first-team football. Every game I gained fresh insights. That's when I knew how crucial experience and match practice was. You could suggest it informed my choice in the summer."