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"To an observer, it seems insane," the young defender says, as he looks back on his summer just gone, when rapid transformation 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 conclusion of June, Quansah opted to depart from his childhood club, to go to the Bundesliga side in a £30m deal.

The big fee brought big pressure as the 22-year-old was tasked with settling in in a foreign land and at a club where the churn was substantial. Erik ten Hag had taken over to succeed Xabi Alonso and a host of key players were gone or going – chief among them Florian Wirtz, Piero Hincapié, influential figures, prominent athletes, Granit Xhaka, established players and Jonathan Tah.

Bundesliga Debut

Quansah's first league appearance came on 23 August at their home ground to their opponents and the central defender scored after the opening minutes, though the achievement was overshadowed by tragedy. His primary thought was his former Liverpool teammate, who was tragically lost in a road incident. Quansah executed Jota's gamer celebration as a mark of respect.

"To have a goal on your Bundesliga debut, in front of home fans, after five minutes, is definitely a whirlwind," Quansah states. "But my overwhelming feeling was that it was a tribute to Diogo."

Early Challenges

The player could have been excused for questioning what he had committed to at the German club. After the encouraging beginning in their first league game, they fell to a 2-1 defeat and the next match on August 30th was equally disappointing. Ten Hag's team threw away comfortable advantages to finish level at their reduced opponents, the equaliser coming in added time. It was not Ten Hag's team for very long. He was sacked on 1 September.

Staying Focused

Quansah does not come across as the type to fret. If calmness characterizes his playing style, it was on show during the interview he gave after joining the national team for the international friendly against their rivals and the qualifying match against Latvia.

Quansah has remained focused under the new Leverkusen manager, the Danish tactician, and continued to do what he originally planned to do at the team – play. The new manager has brought stability. His squad have positive results in four league matches along with ties 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 something that Thomas Tuchel has noted. The national team manager was a admirer 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 practice sessions and around the camp because he was named at the outset in the manager's squad selection for Wales and Latvia, effectively as a fifth centre-back with Stones fit again. The dream is a first appearance. It is one more milestone he would certainly take in his stride.

Decision Making

"With my new club, the club were keen on signing me for a while and that's not only from the coach," Quansah says. "They were interested before he got appointed. So understanding it was a type of organizational choice and things would remain consistent with which manager was to come in ... it was straightforward for me to make that decision.

"We had a numerous squad members departing and it's consistently challenging when you see important figures leave. It has been tough to build the leadership groups but the outcomes we have had recently show that we have got a good squad with talented individuals. It is going to take time to develop and we are not where we want to be. But if we are getting results and not losing that is a solid foundation to start."

Liverpool Departure

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 the previous season when he came on as an extra-time substitute.

Quansah was also a part of last season's Premier League title triumph. Yet his view 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 limited playing time comparing unfavourably with his numbers from the prior season when he featured more regularly.

Professional Growth

"I've always learned off top-level professionals around me at my former club and it's been so good for my professional development," he says. "But as a young centre-back, you require match experience 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 team like Liverpool, it's not promised 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 look under that and see I can keep pushing and improving."

Foundation Building

Quansah recalls his loan to League One Bristol Rovers in the later part of that season where he made his first senior appearances – multiple matches, to be exact. There were "multiple reality checks", he says with a smile, beginning with his debut; a heavy loss at their opponents.

"That was a genuine revelation," Quansah reflects. "It was a really valuable chapter in my development because I aimed to take the next step to regular senior competition. Every game 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 summer."