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"From the outside, it appears crazy," the young defender says, as he reflects on his recent summer, when dizzying change felt like a constant. "But it is one of them ... football is a crazy game."

A Brief Summary

Days after winning the U21 European Championship with England at the end of June, Quansah decided to leave Liverpool, to go to Bayer Leverkusen in a multi-million pound transfer.

The big fee equalled big pressure as the young defender was charged with settling in in a new country and at a club where the churn was dramatic. Erik ten Hag had taken over to succeed the previous coach and a host of star performers were gone or going – chief among them Florian Wirtz, key squad members, Jeremie Frimpong, prominent athletes, experienced professionals, Lukas Hradecky and team leaders.

League Introduction

Quansah's Bundesliga debut came on 23 August at home to Hoffenheim and the central defender scored after the opening minutes, though the achievement was overshadowed by sadness. His primary thought was his former Liverpool teammate, who was killed in a car accident. Quansah executed his teammate's signature celebration as a tribute.

"Scoring on your Bundesliga debut, in front of home fans, after five minutes, is definitely a whirlwind," Quansah says. "But my overwhelming feeling was that it was a tribute to Diogo."

Early Challenges

The defender could have been excused for questioning what he had committed to at Leverkusen. After the encouraging beginning in their opening league fixture, they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat and the following game on 30 August was equally disappointing. The squad squandered 2-0 and 3-1 leads to draw 3-3 at their reduced opponents, the equaliser coming in stoppage time. It was not Ten Hag's team for very long. His dismissal came on 1 September.

Maintaining Composure

Quansah does not come across as the kind to worry. If calmness characterizes his playing style, it was evident during the interview he participated in after being selected for the national team for the Wembley friendly against Wales and the qualifying match against Latvia.

Quansah has remained focused under the current coach, 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 their domestic campaign along with draws in each of their Champions League ties. But there is a broader statistic that motivates the player, even bringing a measure of vindication. It is the one which shows he has been ever-present of the club's campaign.

International Recognition

It is something that Thomas Tuchel has noted. The national team manager was a admirer last season, including him when he announced his initial selection. 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 September when John Stones was forced to withdraw.

Yet to earn his first cap, Quansah must have impressed sufficiently in practice sessions and around the camp because he was selected at the beginning in the manager's 24‑man group for Wales and Latvia, effectively as a fifth centre-back with the regular starter returning. The dream is a debut. It is another thing he would certainly handle with ease.

Decision Making

"At Leverkusen, the club were keen on signing me for a considerable time and that's not just from the coach," Quansah explains. "They were interested before he got appointed. So knowing it was a sort of internal decision and things would remain consistent with whatever coach was to take over ... it was straightforward for me to choose this path.

"There were a numerous squad members leaving and it's consistently challenging when you see important figures leave. It has been difficult to establish new hierarchies but the results we have had [under Hjulmand] demonstrate that we have got a good squad with quality players. It is requiring patience to develop and we are still progressing. But if we are getting results and not losing that is a solid foundation to start."

Leaving Childhood Club

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 Carabao Cup final victory over their London rivals in 2023‑24 when he was introduced as an extra-time substitute.

Quansah was also a part of last season's Premier League title triumph. Yet his perspective of most of that achievement was not the perspective he would have preferred. He was an unused substitute on multiple matches in the league, his limited playing time comparing unfavourably with his numbers from 2023‑24 when he featured more regularly.

Career Development

"I've always learned off some of the best players around me at my former club and it's been so good for my career," he says. "But as a young centre-back, you require match experience and I'm will require hundreds of games to be where I want to be.

"I just wanted regular playing opportunities and when you are at a team like Liverpool, it's not promised because there are elite performers all over the pitch. I wanted somewhere where they can trust that I might make mistakes at times but they will see beyond that and see I can continue developing and improving."

Foundation Building

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 precise. There were "multiple reality checks", he says with a smile, beginning with his debut; a heavy loss at their opponents.

"That was a genuine revelation," Quansah says. "It was a really valuable chapter in my development because I wanted to make the next step to regular senior competition. Each match I learned something new. That's when I understood how crucial practical knowledge and match practice was. You could suggest it influenced my decision in the summer."