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"From the outside, it seems insane," Jarell Quansah 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 crazy game."

A Brief Summary

Days after claiming victory in the European Under-21 Championship with the English national team at the conclusion of June, Quansah opted to depart from Liverpool, to join the Bundesliga side in a £30m deal.

The big fee equalled high expectations as the 22-year-old was tasked with finding his feet in a new country and at a team where the turnover was dramatic. Erik ten Hag had taken over to replace the previous coach and a number of key players were gone or going – including Florian Wirtz, key squad members, influential figures, Amine Adli, experienced professionals, established players and Jonathan Tah.

Bundesliga Debut

Quansah's first league appearance came on August 23rd at home to their opponents and the centre-half scored after the opening minutes, albeit 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 performed his teammate's signature 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 states. "But my overwhelming feeling was that it was a tribute to Diogo."

Early Challenges

The player could have been forgiven for wondering what he had signed up for at the German club. After the encouraging beginning in their first league game, they fell to a narrow loss 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 10-man Werder Bremen, the tying goal coming in added time. It was no longer his responsibility for much longer. He was sacked on 1 September.

Maintaining Composure

Quansah doesn't appear to be the type to fret. If calmness characterizes his playing style, it was on show during the conversation he gave after joining England for the Wembley friendly against Wales and the qualifying match against Latvia.

Quansah has kept his head down under the new Leverkusen manager, Kasper Hjulmand, and persisted in doing what he originally planned to do at the club – play. The new manager has brought stability. His team have three wins and one draw in four league matches along with ties in each of their European matches. But there is a broader statistic that motivates the player, even bringing a measure of vindication. It is the fact that demonstrates he has played every minute of the team's season.

International Recognition

It is one that Thomas Tuchel has noted. The England head coach was a fan previously, selecting Quansah when he named his first squad. After omitting him in June so that Quansah could focus on the Under-21 European Championship, he provided him with a last-minute inclusion in the autumn when the experienced defender was forced to withdraw.

Still to win his international debut, Quansah must have impressed sufficiently in practice sessions and within the squad environment because he was selected at the beginning in the manager's 24‑man group for Wales and Latvia, effectively as a additional defensive option with the regular starter returning. The dream is a first appearance. It is another thing he would surely handle with ease.

Career Choices

"With my new club, the team were interested in me for a considerable time and that's not just from the manager [Ten Hag]," Quansah explains. "Their interest existed prior to his arrival. So knowing it was a sort of organizational choice and things would remain consistent with which manager was to take over ... it was straightforward for me to choose this path.

"There were a numerous squad members departing and it's always tough when you see important figures leave. It has been tough to build the leadership groups but the outcomes we have had [under Hjulmand] demonstrate that we have developed a good squad with quality players. It is going to take time to develop and we are still progressing. But if we are achieving positive outcomes and avoiding defeats that is a good place to begin from."

Liverpool Departure

It had to have been a difficult separation for Quansah to leave Liverpool, his club from the age of five, where he enjoyed so many memorable moments – such as the league cup triumph over their London rivals in 2023‑24 when he was introduced as an late replacement.

Quansah was also a part of the previous campaign's domestic championship success. Yet his perspective of most of that achievement was not the perspective he would have chosen. He was an non-playing reserve on multiple matches in the league, his four starts and nine appearances 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 Liverpool and it's been so good for my career," 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.

"I just wanted regular playing opportunities and when you are at a top-level club, it's not promised because there are world-class players throughout the squad. I wanted an environment where they can trust that I might make mistakes at certain moments but they will see beyond that and see I can continue developing and pushing."

Foundation Building

Quansah recalls his loan to the lower division club in the later part of that season where he debuted at professional level – multiple matches, to be precise. There were "numerous wake-up calls", he notes with a smile, starting with his debut; a 5-1 defeat at Morecambe.

"That was a true eye-opener," Quansah says. "It proved a extremely important chapter in my development because I aimed to take the next step to playing first-team football. Each match I learned something new. That's where I understood how valuable experience and match practice was. You could suggest it influenced my decision in the summer."