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

A Brief Summary

Shortly after winning the European Under-21 Championship with England at the conclusion of June, Quansah decided to leave his childhood club, to go to Bayer Leverkusen in a multi-million pound transfer.

The big fee brought high expectations as the young defender was tasked with finding his feet in a new country and at a team where the churn was substantial. Erik ten Hag had stepped in to replace the previous coach and a host of star performers were departing or already left – including Florian Wirtz, Piero Hincapié, influential figures, Amine Adli, experienced professionals, Lukas Hradecky and Jonathan Tah.

Bundesliga Debut

Quansah's Bundesliga debut came on August 23rd at their home ground to their opponents and the central defender found the net after five minutes, albeit the goal was overshadowed by tragedy. All he could think about was Diogo Jota, who was tragically lost in a road incident. Quansah executed his teammate's signature celebration as a mark of respect.

"Scoring on your Bundesliga debut, at home, after the opening moments, is definitely a whirlwind," Quansah states. "However, my dominant emotion was that it was a tribute to Diogo."

Early Challenges

The player could have been excused for questioning what he had signed up for at Leverkusen. After the encouraging beginning in their opening league fixture, they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat and the following game on August 30th was equally disappointing. Ten Hag's team squandered 2-0 and 3-1 leads to finish level at their reduced opponents, the tying goal coming in added time. It was no longer his responsibility for very long. He was sacked on September 1st.

Staying Focused

Quansah does not come across as the kind to worry. If composure characterizes his playing style, it was on show during the conversation he participated in after being selected for England for the international friendly against their rivals and the qualifying match 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 – play. The new manager has established consistency. His team have three wins and one draw in four league matches 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 been ever-present of the team's season.

International Recognition

It is something that Thomas Tuchel has noted. The national team manager was a admirer previously, selecting Quansah when he announced his initial selection. After leaving him out in the summer so that Quansah could concentrate on the Under-21 European Championship, he provided him with a late call-up in the autumn when John Stones was forced to withdraw.

Still to win his international debut, Quansah must have impressed sufficiently in training and around the camp because he was named at the outset in Tuchel's 24‑man group for Wales and Latvia, 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

"With my new club, the team were interested in me for a considerable time and that's not just from the coach," Quansah explains. "Their interest existed before he got appointed. So understanding it was a type of internal decision and things would remain consistent with whatever coach was to take over ... it was straightforward for me to choose this path.

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

Leaving Childhood Club

It had to have been a wrench for Quansah to depart from Liverpool, his club from the age of five, where he experienced so many memorable moments – such as the league cup triumph over Chelsea in 2023‑24 when he was introduced as an extra-time substitute.

Quansah was also a part of last season'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 multiple matches in the competition, his four starts and nine appearances comparing unfavourably with his numbers from 2023‑24 when he featured more regularly.

Career Development

"I've always learned off top-level professionals around me at my former club and it's been so good for my career," he says. "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 game time and when you are at a top-level club, it's not promised because there are elite performers throughout the squad. I wanted somewhere where they can have confidence that I could errors at times but they will look under that and recognize I can continue developing and pushing."

Foundation Building

Quansah remembers his temporary transfer to the lower division club in the second-half of 2022-23 where he debuted at professional level – 16 of them, to be precise. There were "multiple reality checks", he notes with a smile, beginning with his first game; a heavy loss at their opponents.

"That represented a genuine revelation," Quansah reflects. "It proved a really valuable part of my career because I aimed to take the subsequent progression to playing first-team football. Each match I learned something new. That's when I knew how crucial practical knowledge and match practice was. You could suggest it influenced my decision in the off-season."