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"To an observer, it appears crazy," the young defender says, as he reflects on his recent summer, when rapid transformation 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 England at the end of June, Quansah decided to leave his childhood club, to go to Bayer Leverkusen in a multi-million pound transfer.

The significant transfer sum equalled high expectations as the 22-year-old was charged with finding his feet in a foreign land and at a club where the turnover was substantial. The new manager had stepped in to succeed the previous coach and a host of key players were departing or already left – including Florian Wirtz, key squad members, influential figures, prominent athletes, Granit Xhaka, established players and team leaders.

League Introduction

Quansah's first league appearance came on August 23rd at their home ground to their opponents and the central defender found the net after five minutes, albeit 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 performed his teammate's signature celebration as a tribute.

"To have a goal 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 tribute to Diogo."

Early Challenges

The defender could have been excused for questioning what he had signed up for at the German club. After the encouraging beginning in their opening league fixture, they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat and the following game on 30 August was just as bad. Ten Hag's team threw away 2-0 and 3-1 leads to draw 3-3 at their reduced opponents, the tying goal coming in added time. It was not Ten Hag's team for much longer. He was sacked on 1 September.

Staying Focused

Quansah doesn't appear to be the type to fret. If composure defines his game, it was on show during the interview he participated in after being selected for the national team for the international friendly against Wales and the qualifying match against Latvia.

Quansah has kept his head down under the new Leverkusen manager, the Danish tactician, and continued to do what he always intended to do at the club – compete. The new manager has brought stability. 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 motivates the player, even bringing a sense of justification. It is the fact that demonstrates he has played every minute of the team's season.

International Recognition

It is something that Thomas Tuchel has observed. 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 concentrate on the youth tournament, he gave him a late call-up in September when the experienced defender was forced to withdraw.

Yet to earn his first cap, Quansah must have done something right in practice sessions and around the camp because he was selected at the outset in Tuchel's 24‑man group for the upcoming matches, effectively as a additional defensive option with Stones fit again. The dream is a first appearance. It is another thing he would certainly handle with ease.

Career Choices

"With my new club, the club were interested in me for a while and that's not only from the manager [Ten Hag]," Quansah explains. "They were interested before he got appointed. So knowing it was a type of internal decision and nothing would change with whatever coach was to come in ... it was straightforward for me to make that decision.

"There were a numerous squad members leaving and it's consistently challenging when you lose key players. It has been tough to establish new hierarchies but the outcomes we have had recently demonstrate that we have got a competitive team with quality players. It is requiring patience to develop and we are still progressing. But if we are achieving positive outcomes and avoiding defeats 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 club from the age of five, where he enjoyed so many significant occasions – 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 a part of the previous campaign's Premier League title triumph. Yet his view of most of that achievement was not the one he would have chosen. He was an non-playing reserve on 25 occasions in the competition, his limited playing time falling short compared to his numbers from the prior season when he started nine games.

Professional Growth

"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 going to be needing 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 trust that I could errors at times but they will see beyond that and recognize I can keep pushing and improving."

Foundation Building

Quansah remembers his loan to League One Bristol Rovers in the second-half of 2022-23 where he debuted at professional level – multiple matches, to be precise. There were "multiple reality checks", he says with a grin, beginning with his first game; a heavy loss at their opponents.

"That represented a genuine revelation," Quansah says. "It was a extremely important part of my career because I aimed to take the next step to regular senior competition. Every game I gained fresh insights. That's where I knew how crucial practical knowledge and playing games was. You could suggest it influenced my choice in the off-season."