Bayer Leverkusen's Quansah Keeps Calm and Continues Onward in His Steady Rise to Stardom

"From the outside, it appears insane," the young defender says, as he reflects on his summer just gone, when rapid transformation felt like a constant. "However, that's just how it goes ... football is a unpredictable game."

A Quick Recap

Days after claiming victory in the U21 European Championship with England at the end of June, Quansah decided to leave his childhood club, to join Bayer Leverkusen in a multi-million pound transfer.

The big fee brought big pressure as the young defender was tasked with finding his feet in a foreign land and at a club where the churn was dramatic. The new manager had stepped in to succeed Xabi Alonso and a number of key players were gone or going – including several high-profile names, Piero Hincapié, influential figures, prominent athletes, experienced professionals, established players and team leaders.

Bundesliga Debut

Quansah's first league appearance came on August 23rd at home to their opponents and the central defender found the net after the opening minutes, though the achievement was undercut by tragedy. His primary thought was Diogo Jota, who was killed in a car accident. Quansah performed Jota's gamer celebration as a mark of respect.

"Scoring on your Bundesliga debut, in front of home fans, after the opening moments, is certainly a rollercoaster," Quansah states. "But my overwhelming feeling was that it was a homage to Diogo."

Initial Struggles

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 next match on 30 August was just as bad. Ten Hag's team threw away comfortable advantages to finish level at 10-man Werder Bremen, the tying goal coming in added time. It was no longer his responsibility for very long. His dismissal came on 1 September.

Staying Focused

Quansah doesn't appear to be the kind to worry. If calmness defines his game, it was on show during the interview he participated in after being selected for the national team for the Wembley friendly against Wales and the qualifying match against their next opponents.

Quansah has remained focused under the new Leverkusen manager, Kasper Hjulmand, and continued to do what he originally planned to do at the club – compete. Hjulmand has established consistency. His squad have three wins and one draw in their domestic campaign along with draws in each of their Champions League ties. But there is a more significant number that motivates the player, even bringing a measure of vindication. It is the one which shows he has played every minute of the team's season.

International Recognition

It is one that Thomas Tuchel has observed. The national team manager was a fan last season, selecting Quansah when he announced his initial selection. After omitting him in the summer so that Quansah could concentrate on the Under-21 European Championship, he gave him a late call-up in the autumn when the experienced defender was compelled to pull out.

Still to win his first cap, Quansah must have impressed sufficiently in training and around the camp because he was named at the beginning in Tuchel's squad selection for the upcoming matches, essentially as a additional defensive option with the regular starter returning. The dream is a first appearance. It is one more milestone he would surely take in his stride.

Decision Making

"With my new club, the club were interested in me for a considerable time and that's not only from the coach," Quansah says. "Their interest existed prior to his arrival. So knowing it was a sort of internal decision and things would remain consistent with whatever coach was to come in ... it was straightforward for me to make that decision.

"There were a numerous squad members leaving and it's always tough when you see important figures leave. It has been tough to establish new hierarchies but the outcomes we have had [under Hjulmand] show that we have got a competitive team with quality players. It is requiring patience to build and we are not where we want to be. But if we are getting results and avoiding defeats that is a solid foundation to begin from."

Leaving Childhood Club

It had to have been a wrench for Quansah to depart from his long-time club, his club from the age of five, where he enjoyed 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 much of that was not the one he would have preferred. He was an unused substitute on multiple matches in the competition, his limited playing time falling short compared to his statistics from 2023‑24 when he featured more regularly.

Career Development

"I've always learned off top-level professionals around me at Liverpool and it's been so good for my professional development," he comments. "However, for a developing defender, you need games and I'm will require hundreds of games to be where I want to be.

"My primary desire was regular playing opportunities and when you are at a top-level club, it's not guaranteed because there are world-class players throughout the squad. I wanted an environment where they can trust that I could errors at times but they will see beyond that and see I can continue developing and pushing."

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 – 16 of them, to be exact. There were "numerous wake-up calls", he says with a grin, beginning with his debut; a 5-1 defeat at Morecambe.

"That represented a true eye-opener," Quansah reflects. "It was a extremely important chapter in my development because I aimed to take the next step to regular senior competition. Each match I learned something new. That's where I knew how crucial experience and match practice was. You could say it informed my decision in the off-season."