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"From the outside, it seems crazy," the young defender remarks, as he reflects on his recent summer, when rapid transformation felt like a constant. "However, that's just how it goes ... football is a crazy game."

A Quick Recap

Days after winning the U21 European Championship with the English national team at the conclusion of June, Quansah opted to depart from his childhood club, to go to Bayer Leverkusen in a multi-million pound transfer.

The significant transfer sum equalled big pressure as the young defender was tasked with settling in in a foreign land and at a club where the turnover was dramatic. Erik ten Hag had stepped in to replace the previous coach and a host of key players were gone or going – including several high-profile names, Piero Hincapié, Jeremie Frimpong, prominent athletes, Granit Xhaka, Lukas Hradecky and Jonathan Tah.

Bundesliga Debut

Quansah's first league appearance came on 23 August at home to Hoffenheim and the centre-half scored after the opening minutes, though the goal was overshadowed by tragedy. All he could think about was his former Liverpool teammate, who was tragically lost in a road incident. Quansah executed Jota's gamer celebration as a mark of respect.

"To have a goal on your Bundesliga debut, at home, after the opening moments, is definitely a whirlwind," Quansah says. "However, my dominant emotion was that it was a homage to Diogo."

Early Challenges

The defender could have been forgiven for wondering what he had committed to at the German club. From the promising start in their first league game, they succumbed to a narrow loss and the following game on 30 August was equally disappointing. The squad threw away 2-0 and 3-1 leads to finish level at their reduced opponents, the equaliser coming in added time. It was not Ten Hag's team for much longer. His dismissal came on September 1st.

Staying Focused

Quansah doesn't appear to be the type to fret. If composure defines his game, it was on show during the conversation he participated in after being selected for England for the Wembley friendly against their rivals and the World Cup qualifier against Latvia.

Quansah has remained focused under the new Leverkusen manager, Kasper Hjulmand, and persisted in doing what he always intended to do at the team – play. Hjulmand has established consistency. His squad have positive results in four league matches along with ties 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 fact that demonstrates he has been ever-present of the team's season.

International Recognition

It is something that Thomas Tuchel has noted. The England head coach was a fan previously, including him when he named his first squad. After leaving him out in the summer so that Quansah could focus on the Under-21 European Championship, he gave him a late call-up in the autumn when the experienced defender was forced to withdraw.

Still to win his international debut, Quansah must have done something right in training and within the squad environment because he was selected at the beginning in the manager's squad selection for the upcoming matches, essentially as a fifth centre-back with the regular starter returning. The aspiration is a first appearance. It is one more milestone he would surely handle with ease.

Decision Making

"With my new club, the club were keen on signing me for a considerable time and that's not only from the manager [Ten Hag]," Quansah says. "They were interested prior to his arrival. So understanding it was a type of organizational choice 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 always tough when you see important figures leave. It has been difficult to build the leadership groups but the outcomes we have had recently demonstrate that we have got a good squad with talented individuals. It is requiring patience to build 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 difficult separation for Quansah to depart from Liverpool, his club from the age of five, where he enjoyed so many significant occasions – 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 the previous campaign's domestic championship success. Yet his perspective of much of that was not the perspective he would have chosen. He was an unused substitute on multiple matches in the league, his limited playing time falling short compared to his numbers from the prior season when he featured more regularly.

Professional Growth

"I consistently developed off top-level professionals around me at Liverpool and it's been incredibly beneficial for my professional development," he comments. "However, for a developing defender, you need games and I'm will require extensive playing time to be at my desired level.

"I just wanted game time 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 have confidence that I might make mistakes at certain moments but they will look under that and recognize I can keep pushing and improving."

Foundation Building

Quansah recalls his temporary transfer to the lower division club in the later part of that season where he made his first senior appearances – 16 of them, to be exact. There were "numerous wake-up calls", he says with a smile, beginning with his first game; a heavy loss at Morecambe.

"That represented a true eye-opener," Quansah reflects. "It was a extremely important chapter in my development because I wanted to make the subsequent progression to playing first-team football. Every game I learned something new. That's when I understood how valuable practical knowledge and match practice was. You could say it influenced my decision in the summer."