🔗 Share this article

"From the outside, it appears crazy," the young defender says, as he looks back 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

Days after claiming victory in the European Under-21 Championship with England at the end of June, Quansah opted to depart from his childhood club, to join Bayer Leverkusen in a £30m deal.

The big fee brought big pressure as the young defender was tasked with finding his feet in a new country and at a club where the turnover was substantial. Erik ten Hag had stepped in to succeed Xabi Alonso and a host of star performers were departing or already left – chief among them several high-profile names, key squad members, influential figures, prominent athletes, experienced professionals, established players and Jonathan Tah.

League Introduction

Quansah's Bundesliga debut came on 23 August at home to Hoffenheim and the centre-half found the net after the opening minutes, though the goal was overshadowed by sadness. All he could think about was his former Liverpool teammate, who was killed in a car accident. Quansah performed his teammate's signature celebration as a mark of respect.

"Scoring on your first Bundesliga match, in front of home fans, after the opening moments, is definitely a whirlwind," Quansah says. "But my overwhelming feeling was that it was a homage to Diogo."

Initial Struggles

The player could have been excused for questioning what he had signed up for at Leverkusen. From the promising start in their opening league fixture, they fell to a narrow loss and the next match on 30 August was equally disappointing. Ten Hag's team squandered comfortable advantages to draw 3-3 at their reduced opponents, the tying goal coming in added time. It was no longer his responsibility for very long. His dismissal came on 1 September.

Maintaining Composure

Quansah does not come across as the type to fret. If composure defines his game, it was evident during the conversation he participated in after being selected for the national team for the international friendly against Wales and the World Cup qualifier against their next opponents.

Quansah has remained focused under the new Leverkusen manager, the Danish tactician, and continued to do what he originally planned to do at the club – compete. The new manager has established consistency. His squad have three wins and one draw in four league matches along with ties in each of their Champions League ties. But there is a more significant number that encourages Quansah, even bringing a sense of justification. It is the one which shows he has been ever-present of the club's campaign.

International Recognition

It is one that Thomas Tuchel has noted. The national team manager was a admirer previously, selecting Quansah when he announced his initial selection. After omitting him in the summer so that Quansah could concentrate on the youth tournament, he gave him a late call-up in the autumn when the experienced defender was compelled to pull out.

Yet to earn his international debut, Quansah must have impressed sufficiently in practice sessions and within the squad environment because he was named at the outset in the manager's squad selection for Wales and Latvia, essentially as a fifth centre-back with the regular starter returning. The dream is a debut. It is another thing he would surely handle with ease.

Decision Making

"With my new club, the club were keen on signing me for a while and that's not just from the coach," Quansah explains. "Their interest existed prior to his arrival. So knowing it was a sort of internal decision and nothing would change with whatever coach was to come in ... it was straightforward for me to choose this path.

"There were a numerous squad members departing and it's always tough when you lose key players. It has been tough to establish new hierarchies but the results we have had recently demonstrate that we have got a good squad with talented individuals. It is going to take time to develop and we are not where we want to be. But if we are achieving positive outcomes and avoiding defeats that is a good place to start."

Leaving Childhood Club

It had to have been a wrench for Quansah to leave his long-time club, his team since childhood, where he experienced so many memorable moments – such as the league cup triumph over their London rivals in 2023‑24 when he came on as an extra-time substitute.

Quansah was also a part of last season's domestic championship success. Yet his perspective of much of that 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 top-level professionals around me at my former club and it's been so good for my professional development," he comments. "However, for a developing defender, you require match experience and I'm going to be needing extensive playing time to be at my desired level.

"My primary desire was game time and when you are at a top-level club, it's not guaranteed because there are world-class players all over the pitch. I wanted somewhere where they can trust that I might make mistakes at certain moments but they will look under that and recognize I can continue developing and improving."

Foundation Building

Quansah recalls his loan to the lower division club in the later part of that season where he made his first senior appearances – multiple matches, to be precise. There were "numerous wake-up calls", he notes with a smile, beginning with his first game; a 5-1 defeat at their opponents.

"That represented a genuine revelation," Quansah says. "It was a really valuable part of my career because I aimed to take the next step to playing first-team football. Every game I learned something new. That's when I knew how valuable experience and playing games was. You could say it informed my decision in the summer."