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"To an observer, it appears crazy," the young defender says, as he reflects on his recent summer, when dizzying change felt like a constant. "However, that's just how it goes ... football is a unpredictable game."

A Brief Summary

Shortly after winning the European Under-21 Championship with the English national team at the end of June, Quansah decided to leave Liverpool, to go to Bayer Leverkusen in a £30m deal.

The significant transfer sum equalled big pressure as the 22-year-old was charged with settling in in a new country and at a team where the churn was dramatic. The new manager had taken over to replace Xabi Alonso and a host of star performers were gone or going – including Florian Wirtz, key squad members, Jeremie Frimpong, 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 five minutes, albeit the goal was overshadowed by sadness. His primary thought was Diogo Jota, who was killed in a car accident. Quansah performed 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 says. "But my overwhelming feeling 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 opening league fixture, they succumbed to a narrow loss and the next match on 30 August was equally disappointing. Ten Hag's team squandered comfortable advantages to finish level at their reduced opponents, the tying goal coming in added time. It was no longer his responsibility for much longer. His dismissal came on 1 September.

Maintaining Composure

Quansah doesn't appear to be the type to fret. If calmness defines his game, it was on show during the conversation he participated in after being selected for England for the Wembley friendly against Wales and the qualifying match against Latvia.

Quansah has kept his head down under the new Leverkusen manager, the Danish tactician, and continued to do what he originally planned to do at the club – compete. Hjulmand has established consistency. 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 been ever-present of the team's season.

National Team Attention

It is something that Thomas Tuchel has observed. The England head coach was a fan last season, including him when he announced his initial selection. After omitting him in June 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 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 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 certainly take in his stride.

Decision Making

"With my new club, the team were keen on signing me for a while and that's not just from the manager [Ten Hag]," Quansah says. "Their interest existed prior to his arrival. So understanding it was a sort of organizational choice and nothing would change with which manager was to take over ... it was easy for me to make that decision.

"There were a lot of players departing and it's always tough when you lose key players. It has been difficult to build the leadership groups but the results we have had recently demonstrate that we have got a good squad with quality players. 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 not losing that is a good place to start."

Liverpool Departure

It had to have been a wrench for Quansah to leave Liverpool, his team since childhood, where he enjoyed so many memorable moments – such as the league cup triumph over Chelsea in the previous season when he was introduced as an late replacement.

Quansah was also involved in the previous campaign's domestic championship success. Yet his view of much of that was not the one he would have preferred. He was an unused substitute on 25 occasions in the competition, his four starts and nine appearances falling short compared to his statistics 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 so good for my career," he says. "However, for a developing defender, you require match experience and I'm will require extensive playing time to be where I want to be.

"My primary desire was regular playing opportunities and when you are at a team like Liverpool, 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 times but they will look under that and recognize I can keep pushing and improving."

Foundation Building

Quansah recalls his loan to League One Bristol Rovers in the second-half of 2022-23 where he made his first senior appearances – multiple matches, to be precise. There were "numerous wake-up calls", he says with a grin, beginning 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 wanted to make the subsequent progression to regular senior competition. Every game I gained fresh insights. That's when I knew how crucial experience and playing games was. You could suggest it informed my choice in the summer."