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"From the outside, it seems insane," the young defender remarks, as he reflects on his recent summer, when rapid transformation felt like a constant. "But it is one of them ... football is a crazy game."

A Quick Recap

Shortly after winning the European Under-21 Championship with the English national team at the end of June, Quansah opted to depart from his childhood club, to join the Bundesliga side in a £30m deal.

The significant transfer sum brought high expectations as the young defender was charged with settling in in a new country and at a club where the turnover was substantial. The new manager had stepped in to replace Xabi Alonso and a number of key players were gone or going – including Florian Wirtz, Piero Hincapié, Jeremie Frimpong, prominent athletes, Granit Xhaka, established players and Jonathan Tah.

League Introduction

Quansah's Bundesliga debut came on 23 August at their home ground to Hoffenheim and the centre-half scored after the opening minutes, though the achievement was overshadowed by sadness. His primary thought was Diogo Jota, who was killed in a car accident. Quansah executed Jota's gamer celebration as a mark of respect.

"To have a goal on your Bundesliga debut, in front of home fans, after the opening moments, is certainly a rollercoaster," 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 signed up for at Leverkusen. After the encouraging beginning in their opening league fixture, they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat and the following game on August 30th was equally disappointing. The squad threw away 2-0 and 3-1 leads to finish level at their reduced opponents, the equaliser coming in stoppage time. It was no longer his responsibility for very long. His dismissal came on 1 September.

Maintaining Composure

Quansah does not come across as the type to fret. If calmness characterizes his playing style, it was on show during the conversation he participated in after being selected for England for the international friendly against Wales and the World Cup qualifier against their next opponents.

Quansah has remained focused under the current coach, Kasper Hjulmand, and persisted in doing what he always intended to do at the club – compete. Hjulmand has established consistency. His team have positive results in their domestic campaign along with draws in each of their Champions League ties. But there is a broader statistic that encourages Quansah, even bringing a sense of justification. It is the one which shows he has played every minute of the club's campaign.

International Recognition

It is something 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 the summer 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.

Yet to earn his first cap, Quansah must have done something right in practice sessions and around the camp because he was selected at the beginning in the manager's 24‑man group for the upcoming matches, essentially as a fifth centre-back with Stones fit again. The dream is a first appearance. It is one more milestone he would certainly take in his stride.

Decision Making

"At Leverkusen, the club were keen on signing me for a considerable time and that's not just from the manager [Ten Hag]," Quansah explains. "They were interested prior to his arrival. So knowing it was a type of organizational choice and nothing would change with whatever coach was to come in ... it was straightforward for me to choose this path.

"There were a lot of players 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 talented individuals. It is requiring patience to develop and we are not where we want to be. But if we are achieving positive outcomes and not losing that is a solid foundation to begin from."

Liverpool Departure

It had to have been a difficult separation for Quansah to depart from Liverpool, his team since childhood, where he enjoyed so many memorable moments – such as the league cup triumph over their London rivals in the previous season when he was introduced as an late replacement.

Quansah was also involved in last season's domestic championship success. Yet his perspective of much of that was not the one he would have preferred. He was an non-playing reserve on multiple matches in the league, his four starts and nine appearances falling short compared to his statistics from 2023‑24 when he started nine games.

Professional Growth

"I've always learned off top-level professionals around me at my former club and it's been incredibly beneficial for my professional development," he says. "However, for a developing defender, you need games 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 top-level club, it's not promised because there are elite performers throughout the squad. I wanted an environment where they can trust that I might make mistakes at certain moments but they will look under that and recognize I can continue developing and improving."

Early Experience

Quansah recalls his temporary transfer 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 notes with a grin, starting with his first game; a 5-1 defeat at their opponents.

"That was a genuine revelation," Quansah says. "It proved a really valuable part of my career because I aimed to take the subsequent progression to playing first-team football. Each match I gained fresh insights. That's when I knew how crucial practical knowledge and match practice was. You could say it influenced my choice in the off-season."