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"To an observer, it appears insane," the young defender says, as he reflects on his summer just gone, 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 U21 European Championship with the English national team at the end of June, Quansah decided to leave his childhood club, to join Bayer Leverkusen in a multi-million pound transfer.

The significant transfer sum brought high expectations as the 22-year-old was tasked with finding his feet in a new country and at a team where the turnover was dramatic. Erik ten Hag had taken over to replace 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, established players and team leaders.

League Introduction

Quansah's Bundesliga debut came on 23 August at their home ground to their opponents and the central defender scored after the opening minutes, though the goal was overshadowed 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.

"Scoring on your first Bundesliga match, at home, after five minutes, is certainly a rollercoaster," Quansah says. "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 committed to at Leverkusen. From the promising start in their opening league fixture, they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat and the following game on August 30th was just as bad. Ten Hag's team squandered comfortable advantages to draw 3-3 at their reduced opponents, the tying goal 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 defines his game, it was on show during the interview he participated in after joining 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 team – play. Hjulmand has established consistency. His team have three wins and one draw in four league matches along with draws in each of their European matches. But there is a more significant number that motivates the player, 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 one that the England head coach has noted. The England head coach was a fan previously, including him when he announced his initial selection. After omitting him in June so that Quansah could concentrate on the youth tournament, he gave him a late call-up in the autumn when the experienced defender was forced to withdraw.

Yet to earn his first cap, Quansah must have done something right in training and around the camp because he was named at the outset in the manager's 24‑man group for Wales and Latvia, essentially as a fifth centre-back with Stones fit again. The dream is a first appearance. It is another thing he would surely handle with ease.

Decision Making

"At Leverkusen, the club were keen on signing me for a while and that's not only from the coach," Quansah says. "They were interested prior to his arrival. So knowing it was a sort of organizational choice and nothing would change with whatever coach was to come in ... it was easy for me to make that decision.

"We had a numerous squad members leaving and it's always tough when you lose key players. It has been difficult to establish new hierarchies but the outcomes we have had recently demonstrate that we have developed a competitive team 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 avoiding defeats that is a good place to start."

Leaving Childhood Club

It had to have been a difficult separation for Quansah to leave his long-time club, his team since childhood, where he enjoyed so many memorable moments – such as the league cup triumph over their London rivals in 2023‑24 when he came on as an extra-time substitute.

Quansah was also a part of the previous campaign's domestic championship success. Yet his view of most of that achievement was not the perspective he would have preferred. He was an non-playing reserve 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.

Professional Growth

"I've always learned off top-level professionals around me at Liverpool and it's been so good for my career," he comments. "However, for a developing defender, you need games and I'm going to be needing extensive playing time to be at my desired level.

"My primary desire was regular playing opportunities and when you are at a top-level club, it's not guaranteed because there are elite performers throughout the squad. I wanted somewhere where they can trust that I could errors at times but they will look under that and recognize 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 – 16 of them, to be exact. There were "numerous wake-up calls", he says with a grin, beginning with his debut; a heavy loss at Morecambe.

"That represented a genuine revelation," Quansah reflects. "It was a really valuable chapter in my development because I aimed to take the next step to playing first-team football. Every game I learned something new. That's when I knew how crucial practical knowledge and match practice was. You could suggest it influenced my decision in the summer."