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"From the outside, it seems crazy," the young defender remarks, as he looks back on his summer just gone, when dizzying change felt like a constant. "But it is one of them ... football is a crazy game."

A Brief Summary

Shortly after winning the European Under-21 Championship with England at the end of June, Quansah opted to depart from Liverpool, to join the Bundesliga side in a £30m deal.

The significant transfer sum brought big pressure as the 22-year-old was tasked with finding his feet in a new country and at a club where the turnover was dramatic. Erik ten Hag had taken over to succeed the previous coach and a number of key players were gone or going – including several high-profile names, Piero Hincapié, influential figures, prominent athletes, Granit Xhaka, established players and team leaders.

League Introduction

Quansah's Bundesliga debut came on 23 August at their home ground to their opponents and the centre-half found the net after five minutes, albeit the achievement was undercut by tragedy. His primary thought was his former Liverpool teammate, who was tragically lost in a road incident. Quansah performed Jota's gamer celebration as a tribute.

"To have a goal on your first Bundesliga match, at home, after the opening moments, is definitely a rollercoaster," Quansah states. "However, my dominant emotion was that it was a tribute to Diogo."

Initial Struggles

The defender could have been forgiven for wondering what he had committed to at the German club. 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. Ten Hag's team threw away 2-0 and 3-1 leads to finish level at their reduced opponents, the tying goal coming in stoppage time. It was no longer his responsibility for much longer. He was sacked on September 1st.

Maintaining Composure

Quansah doesn't appear to be the type to fret. If composure defines his game, it was evident during the conversation he gave after joining England for the international friendly against their rivals and the World Cup qualifier against their next opponents.

Quansah has remained focused under the current coach, the Danish tactician, and persisted in doing what he originally planned to do at the team – play. The new manager has brought stability. His team have positive results in their domestic campaign along with ties in each of their Champions League ties. But there is a broader statistic that encourages Quansah, 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 something that the England head coach has noted. The England head coach was a admirer previously, selecting Quansah when he announced his initial selection. After leaving him out in June so that Quansah could concentrate on the youth tournament, he gave him a late call-up in the autumn when John Stones was compelled to pull out.

Still to win his first cap, Quansah must have done something right in practice sessions and around the camp because he was selected at the outset in the manager's 24‑man group for the upcoming matches, essentially as a additional defensive option with the regular starter returning. The dream is a debut. It is one more milestone he would surely handle with ease.

Decision Making

"With my new club, the club were interested in me for a while and that's not just from the coach," Quansah explains. "Their interest existed before he got appointed. So knowing it was a type of internal decision and things would remain consistent with whatever coach was to take over ... it was straightforward for me to make that decision.

"There were a lot of players leaving and it's always tough when you see important figures leave. It has been difficult to establish new hierarchies but the outcomes we have had recently 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 avoiding defeats that is a solid foundation to begin from."

Liverpool Departure

It had to have been a wrench for Quansah to depart from Liverpool, his team since childhood, where he enjoyed so many significant occasions – such as the league cup triumph over Chelsea in the previous season when he came on as an extra-time substitute.

Quansah was also involved in last season's domestic championship success. Yet his perspective of most of that achievement was not the perspective he would have chosen. He was an non-playing reserve on 25 occasions in the league, his four starts and nine appearances comparing unfavourably with his numbers from the prior season when he started nine games.

Professional Growth

"I've always learned off top-level professionals around me at Liverpool and it's been incredibly beneficial for my professional development," he comments. "However, for a developing defender, you need games and I'm going to be needing extensive playing time 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 guaranteed because there are world-class players throughout the squad. I wanted somewhere where they can have confidence that I could errors at certain moments but they will see beyond that and recognize I can continue developing and pushing."

Early Experience

Quansah recalls his temporary transfer to the lower division club in the later part of that season where he made his first senior appearances – 16 of them, to be exact. There were "numerous wake-up calls", he notes with a smile, beginning with his debut; a 5-1 defeat at their opponents.

"That was a genuine revelation," Quansah reflects. "It was a extremely important chapter in my development because I wanted to make the next step to regular senior competition. Every game I gained fresh insights. That's when I knew how valuable practical knowledge and match practice was. You could suggest it influenced my choice in the summer."