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"From the outside, it appears insane," Jarell Quansah remarks, 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 winning the U21 European Championship with England at the conclusion of June, Quansah opted to depart from his childhood club, to go to Bayer Leverkusen in a multi-million pound transfer.

The significant transfer sum equalled high expectations as the 22-year-old was charged with finding his feet in a new country and at a team where the churn was dramatic. The new manager had stepped in to succeed Xabi Alonso and a number of key players were departing or already left – including Florian Wirtz, Piero Hincapié, influential figures, prominent athletes, experienced professionals, established players and Jonathan Tah.

Bundesliga Debut

Quansah's Bundesliga debut came on August 23rd at their home ground to Hoffenheim and the centre-half scored after the opening minutes, albeit the goal was overshadowed by sadness. All he could think about was Diogo Jota, who was killed in a car accident. Quansah performed Jota's gamer celebration as a tribute.

"To have a goal on your Bundesliga debut, in front of home fans, after five minutes, is certainly a whirlwind," 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 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 August 30th was just as bad. Ten Hag's team squandered 2-0 and 3-1 leads to draw 3-3 at 10-man Werder Bremen, the equaliser coming in stoppage time. It was no longer his responsibility for much longer. His dismissal came on September 1st.

Maintaining Composure

Quansah does not come across as the type to fret. If composure defines his game, it was evident during the conversation he gave after being selected for England for the Wembley friendly against Wales and the qualifying match against Latvia.

Quansah has remained focused under the new Leverkusen manager, the Danish tactician, and persisted in doing what he always intended to do at the team – compete. Hjulmand has established consistency. His squad have positive results in their domestic campaign along with draws in each of their European matches. 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 club's campaign.

International Recognition

It is something that the England head coach has observed. The national team manager was a admirer previously, selecting Quansah when he announced his initial selection. After omitting him in the summer so that Quansah could concentrate on the youth tournament, he gave him a last-minute inclusion in the autumn when the experienced defender was forced to withdraw.

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

Career Choices

"At Leverkusen, the club were keen on signing me for a while and that's not just from the manager [Ten Hag]," Quansah says. "Their interest existed before he got appointed. So knowing it was a type of organizational choice and things would remain consistent with which manager was to take over ... it was straightforward for me to choose this path.

"We had a numerous squad members leaving 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 recently demonstrate that we have got 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 getting results and avoiding defeats that is a good place to start."

Leaving Childhood Club

It had to have been a difficult separation for Quansah to depart from 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 perspective of most of that achievement was not the perspective 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 numbers from the prior season when he started nine games.

Career Development

"I've always learned off top-level professionals around me at Liverpool and it's been incredibly beneficial for my career," he says. "However, for a developing defender, you require match experience and I'm will require 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 promised because there are world-class players all over the pitch. I wanted an environment where they can trust that I might make mistakes at certain moments but they will see beyond that and see I can keep pushing and improving."

Early Experience

Quansah remembers his temporary transfer 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, starting with his first game; a 5-1 defeat at Morecambe.

"That was a genuine revelation," Quansah reflects. "It was a extremely important part of my career 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 playing games was. You could suggest it informed my choice in the off-season."