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"To an observer, it appears insane," the young defender remarks, 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 claiming victory in the European Under-21 Championship with the English national team at the conclusion of June, Quansah decided to leave his childhood club, to join Bayer Leverkusen in a £30m deal.

The big fee equalled big pressure as the young defender was tasked with settling in in a new country and at a club where the turnover was dramatic. The new manager had stepped in to succeed Xabi Alonso and a number of star performers were departing or already left – chief among them Florian Wirtz, key squad members, Jeremie Frimpong, Amine Adli, Granit Xhaka, established players and team leaders.

League Introduction

Quansah's first league appearance came on 23 August at their home ground to their opponents and the centre-half scored after five minutes, though the goal was undercut by tragedy. His primary thought 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, in front of home fans, after five minutes, is certainly a rollercoaster," Quansah states. "However, my dominant emotion was that it was a tribute to Diogo."

Early Challenges

The defender could have been excused for questioning what he had signed up for at Leverkusen. From the promising start in their first league game, they fell to a narrow loss and the next match on 30 August was just as bad. 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. He was sacked on 1 September.

Maintaining Composure

Quansah does not come across as the kind to worry. If composure characterizes his playing style, it was evident during the conversation he gave after being selected for England for the Wembley friendly against their rivals and the qualifying match against Latvia.

Quansah has kept his head down under the current coach, Kasper Hjulmand, and persisted in doing what he originally planned to do at the club – compete. The new manager has brought stability. His team have positive results in four league matches along with ties in each of their European matches. But there is a broader statistic that encourages Quansah, even bringing a sense of justification. It is the one which shows he has been ever-present of the team's season.

International Recognition

It is one that the England head coach has observed. The England head coach was a fan last season, including him when he named his first squad. After leaving him out in June so that Quansah could concentrate on the youth tournament, he provided him with a last-minute inclusion in September when John Stones was forced to withdraw.

Still to win his international debut, Quansah must have done something right in practice sessions and around the camp because he was selected at the outset in Tuchel's squad selection for Wales and Latvia, essentially as a fifth centre-back with Stones fit again. The aspiration is a debut. It is another thing he would certainly handle with ease.

Career Choices

"At Leverkusen, the club were keen on signing me for a while and that's not only from the manager [Ten Hag]," Quansah says. "They were interested prior to his arrival. So understanding it was a sort of internal decision and nothing would change with which manager was to take over ... it was easy for me to make that decision.

"There were a numerous squad members departing 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 [under Hjulmand] show that we have got a good squad with quality players. It is requiring patience to build and we are still progressing. But if we are achieving positive outcomes and not losing that is a solid foundation to start."

Leaving Childhood Club

It had to have been a wrench for Quansah to depart from Liverpool, his team since childhood, where he experienced so many memorable moments – such as the Carabao Cup final victory over Chelsea in the previous season when he was introduced as an late replacement.

Quansah was also involved in last season's Premier League title triumph. Yet his view of much of that was not the one he would have chosen. He was an unused substitute on multiple matches in the competition, his four starts and nine appearances falling short compared to his statistics from 2023‑24 when he started nine games.

Career Development

"I consistently developed off top-level professionals around me at my former club and it's been incredibly beneficial for my professional development," he says. "But as a young centre-back, you require match experience and I'm going to be needing hundreds of games 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 elite performers throughout the squad. I wanted an environment where they can trust that I might make mistakes at times but they will see beyond that and see I can keep pushing and pushing."

Early Experience

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 "multiple reality checks", he says with a smile, beginning with his debut; a heavy loss at Morecambe.

"That was a genuine revelation," Quansah reflects. "It proved a really valuable chapter in my development because I aimed to take the subsequent progression to regular senior competition. Each match I gained fresh insights. That's where I knew how crucial practical knowledge and match practice was. You could suggest it informed my decision in the summer."