Liverpool were linked with a move for Wolves’ Rayan Ait-Nouri this week, with a defensive overhaul appearing to be on the club’s agenda.
Club bosses were aware of this, at least, and have spent the past two years slowly revamping the German’s squad. Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo were brought in for a combined fee of £179m with add-ons as the Reds’ sought long-term replacements for Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, while also waving off Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino.
The 20-year-old has made nine appearances for Liverpool so far this campaign, having enjoyed a half-season loan stint with League One Bristol Rovers at the start of the calendar year.
“You can look at that both ways, can’t you?” Quansah told the ECHO and other media outlets while away on international duty with England Under-21s. “‘Surprised’ could be deemed as an interesting word, but I think the way he (Klopp) means it, I wasn’t really expected to be there yet.
“I don’t think it was a surprise of, I’ve trained with them before and I’m not a good player. I think it was how soon it came and how I’ve dealt with the adversity that I have been thrown into. I wouldn’t say it was a surprise as in if he thought I was going to be a good player or not, because I’ve shown that before in training sessions.
“It’s probably not expected from going from a loan at Bristol Rovers to straight into the first team, and do as well as I did I think. That’s where the surprise came from.”
While it might look to onlookers that Quansah has emerged out of nowhere, he has been preparing for this moment for years.
The youngster observed Liverpool’s 2020/21 season with interest as he became aware that one further injury could have resulted in his own premature promotion from the Academy, in just one of countless examples throughout this interview that demonstrates a maturity beyond his years.
“In myself I’ve never had a time-frame,” he said. “I’m never one to say, ‘give me two years and it’s going to be this’. I’ve always known people just get thrown in and always known it could happen at any moment. I’ve always been ready for that and that is why I don’t get overawed by it as much.
“Probably when I was 16, I mentally prepared myself. Obviously not thinking I’d play at 16, but knowing at that age that something crazy could happen.
“What really helped was we had the season where centre-backs got injured and it was Rhys Williams, Nat Phillips and we got (Ozan) Kabak as well. I think at that time I was 17/18 but I was fourth or fifth choice then.
“I was like, ‘if something happens to them I could be somewhere’. From then I knew I needed to maximise everything I can.”
Meanwhile, his passion for his trade is obvious, with Quansah sharing how he has always studied videos of the Reds’ defence and other backlines across the world in an attempt to continually learn and improve his own game.
“When I was younger, I always watched the older generation,” he said. “I love watching different countries and the way they defend. I always looked at, in Spain, Sergio Ramos. I always looked at Bonucci in Italy. Sometimes I’d go on a mad one and watch any South American defenders. Especially Argentinian because I love the way they defend.
“Yeah (they defend differently). Cristian Romero and players like that. You see how much it means to them. I’d love to have that experience abroad, it’s just different ways of defending and stuff like that.
“That’s the way I look at other players. When I mould everything into one, I don’t think there is a specific formula that’s the best. If you could have a bit of everything, that would be good.”
Quansah continued: “I’m a good learner when I watch players so even just watching the games up close, I’ll just focus on our defenders. In training, I’ll just watch what they’re doing and listen to how they’re speaking, so it’s everything.
“Virgil makes everything look so easy, doesn’t he? And even when you’re next to him he does the same. It’s just 24/7 learning really.
“They’re so elite, literally the most world-class players in the world, so just everything and anything I can take from them is a positive, and I can mould it into one hopefully and that’s what I’m trying to do.
“I always used to watch clips. When I was in the Under-21s, that was my main thing I did. I went to them but it was always an option, you just need to ask the right people to get it.
“I used to get high-cam footage instead of the TV footage so you could see everything really, how the back-line moves and a little bit of everything. I was always watching. Some players might not learn off that.
“I can’t speak for anyone else but myself. But the way I learn is watching players. That’s how you gain a bit of experience a little bit as well because these players have played 400-500 games at the top level.
“It would be stupid for me not to watch them. That’s how I look at it. It’s like having a resource and just throwing it away, I couldn’t do that, I couldn’t live with myself if I did that.”
Quansah has quickly gone from watching clips of Virgil van Dijk to playing alongside him. But the Dutchman isn’t the only player who has helped the young defender quickly acclimatise in the Liverpool first team.
“The younger players that came from the academy like Harvey (Elliott) and Curtis (Jones) have definitely helped me a lot, and Trent,” he revealed. “And obviously the centre-backs as well have really helped me, because they’ve all been round it for a good few years.
“It’s always good when they’re really familiar with the gaffer and can relay information to me that they have had to learn and get through the past few years they have been there.
“I think they can see by the way I carry myself a little bit that I’m not someone who is going to be overawed by it. I show that I’m calm most times so I don’t think they look at me and think, ‘he’s going to be a nervous wreck here’, and might need to comfort me (in games).
“With me, it’s never that someone needs to put their arm around me and say, ‘do this, play your game’. Sometimes they have, some players do it for themselves maybe. But personally I don’t think I need that.”
So, three months into his first season as Liverpool first-team player, does any advice Quansah has received from any of his coaches or team-mates stand out?
“You know what, it is probably nothing tactical or anything like that,” he said. “When they just say enjoy it. It sounds so simple and so cliche but it is easy for young players, especially centre-halves, just to not play their game.
“To play safe and not do what they do at other levels just because it might be a step up in level or you’re playing in front of more people. Them just saying enjoy it relaxes you a little bit.
“I’m relaxed already but there is still always nerves there, so when I get told to enjoy it, I can just be free and play. I don’t have to worry about making mistakes because they’re going to happen at the end of the day.
“I can’t remember the last player who had a perfect career and never made a mistake. It’s always going to happen and that’s the way you learn best so just enjoy myself and try and play the the best footy I can.”
While Quansah’s sudden senior emergence might have been a surprise to some, he is not exceeding his own expectations. Nine Liverpool appearances and an England Under-21s debut, coming last month against Serbia, are just the start for a player who confidently backs himself and has the loftiest of ambitions.
“I’ve always just wanted to be a winner, I think,” he said. “Hated losing since I was young. Used to cry when I lost. When I lose, it still ruins my weekend and stuff like that. So I think it probably comes from there.
“When you look at goals, there is no point in setting goals that you believe you can achieve.” You might as well set a goal that appears out of reach, because you never know what you can achieve.
“So, no (this season hasn’t exceeded expectations), because no one has yet declared Jarell Quansah to be one of the best players in the world.” Nobody has said he’s a top centre-back, nobody has said he’s all of this.
“So there’s no reason for me to sit on what I’ve got and say, ‘oh, yeah, I’ve played nine games for Liverpool,’ until I’m regarded as at least one of the best players in the Premier League.” That was never the end goal.”
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