Bayer Leverkusen's Quansah Remains Composed and Continues Onward in His Steady Rise to Football Fame
"To an observer, it seems crazy," the young defender says, 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 winning the European Under-21 Championship with the English national team at the conclusion of June, Quansah opted to depart from Liverpool, to go to Bayer Leverkusen in a multi-million pound transfer.
The big fee brought high expectations as the 22-year-old was tasked with settling in in a new country and at a team where the turnover was dramatic. The new manager had stepped in to replace the previous coach and a host of star performers were departing or already left – including Florian Wirtz, Piero Hincapié, Jeremie Frimpong, Amine Adli, experienced professionals, Lukas Hradecky and team leaders.
Bundesliga Debut
Quansah's Bundesliga debut came on August 23rd at home to their opponents and the central defender found the net after the opening minutes, though the goal was undercut by tragedy. His primary thought was Diogo Jota, who was tragically lost in a road incident. Quansah executed Jota's gamer celebration as a tribute.
"To have a goal on your first Bundesliga match, in front of home fans, after the opening moments, 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 forgiven for wondering what he had committed to at Leverkusen. From the promising start in their opening league fixture, they fell to a 2-1 defeat and the next match on 30 August was just as bad. Ten Hag's team threw away comfortable advantages to finish level at their reduced opponents, the equaliser coming in added time. It was not Ten Hag's team 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 interview he participated in after joining the national team for the Wembley friendly against Wales and the World Cup qualifier against their next opponents.
Quansah has remained focused under the current coach, the Danish tactician, and persisted in doing what he originally planned to do at the club – compete. Hjulmand has brought stability. His squad have positive results in four league matches along with draws in each of their Champions League ties. But there is a more significant number that motivates the player, even bringing a sense of justification. It is the fact that demonstrates he has been ever-present of the club's campaign.
International Recognition
It is one that Thomas Tuchel has observed. The national team manager was a admirer previously, 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 John Stones was compelled to pull out.
Still to win his international debut, Quansah must have done something right in practice sessions and within the squad environment because he was selected at the beginning in Tuchel's 24‑man group 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.
Decision Making
"With my new club, the club were interested in me for a considerable time and that's not just from the coach," Quansah explains. "They were interested prior to his arrival. So understanding it was a sort of internal decision and things would remain consistent with which manager was to take over ... it was easy for me to choose this path.
"There were a lot of players departing 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 developed a competitive team with quality players. It is going to take time to build and we are not where we want to be. But if we are achieving positive outcomes and not losing that is a good place to begin from."
Liverpool Departure
It had to have been a difficult separation for Quansah to depart from his long-time club, his team since childhood, where he experienced so many significant occasions – such as the league cup triumph over Chelsea in 2023‑24 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 much of that was not the one he would have chosen. 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 started nine games.
Career Development
"I consistently developed off some of the best players around me at my former club and it's been incredibly beneficial for my professional development," he says. "However, for a developing defender, you need games and I'm will require hundreds of games 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 throughout the squad. I wanted an environment where they can have confidence that I could errors at certain moments but they will look under that and recognize I can keep pushing and improving."
Early Experience
Quansah remembers his temporary transfer to League One Bristol Rovers in the later part of that season where he debuted at professional level – multiple matches, to be exact. There were "numerous wake-up calls", he notes with a smile, beginning with his first game; a heavy loss at their opponents.
"That was a genuine revelation," Quansah says. "It was a extremely important chapter in my development because I aimed to take the next step to playing first-team football. Every game I gained fresh insights. That's where I understood how crucial experience and playing games was. You could suggest it influenced my decision in the summer."