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"To an observer, it appears insane," the young defender says, as he reflects on his recent summer, when dizzying change felt like a constant. "But it is one of them ... football is a crazy game."

A Quick Recap

Shortly after winning the European Under-21 Championship with England at the end of June, Quansah decided to leave his childhood club, to go to Bayer Leverkusen in a multi-million pound transfer.

The big fee equalled big pressure as the 22-year-old was charged with finding his feet in a foreign land and at a team where the churn was substantial. The new manager had taken over to succeed Xabi Alonso and a host of key players were departing or already left – chief among them several high-profile names, Piero Hincapié, influential figures, Amine Adli, experienced professionals, Lukas Hradecky and team leaders.

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 goal was overshadowed by sadness. His primary thought was Diogo Jota, who was killed in a car accident. Quansah executed his teammate's signature celebration as a tribute.

"Scoring on your Bundesliga debut, in front of home fans, after five minutes, 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 excused for questioning what he had committed to at the German club. After the encouraging beginning in their first league game, they succumbed to a narrow loss and the next match on August 30th was equally disappointing. Ten Hag's team squandered 2-0 and 3-1 leads to finish level at their reduced opponents, the tying goal coming in added time. It was not Ten Hag's team for much longer. His dismissal came on September 1st.

Staying Focused

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

Quansah has remained focused under the new Leverkusen manager, Kasper Hjulmand, and continued to do what he originally planned to do at the club – compete. Hjulmand has established consistency. His squad have positive results in four league matches along with ties in each of their European matches. But there is a broader statistic that motivates the player, even bringing a measure of vindication. It is the fact that demonstrates he has been ever-present of the team's season.

International Recognition

It is something that Thomas Tuchel has observed. The national team manager was a fan previously, selecting Quansah when he announced his initial selection. After omitting him in June so that Quansah could concentrate on the youth tournament, he provided him with a late call-up in September when the experienced defender was compelled to pull out.

Still to win his international debut, Quansah must have impressed sufficiently in training 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 surely handle with ease.

Career Choices

"At Leverkusen, the club were keen on signing me for a while and that's not just from the coach," Quansah explains. "Their interest existed before he got appointed. So understanding it was a sort of organizational choice and things would remain consistent with which manager was to take over ... it was straightforward for me to make that decision.

"We had a numerous squad members departing 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 [under Hjulmand] demonstrate that we have got a competitive team with talented individuals. It is going to take time to develop and we are still progressing. But if we are getting results and not losing that is a good place to start."

Leaving Childhood Club

It had to have been a difficult separation for Quansah to depart from Liverpool, his team since childhood, where he enjoyed so many memorable moments – such as the league cup triumph over their London rivals in the previous season when he came on as an extra-time substitute.

Quansah was also involved in last season's Premier League title triumph. Yet his view of much of that was not the perspective he would have preferred. He was an unused substitute on multiple matches in the league, his four starts and nine appearances comparing unfavourably with his numbers from the prior season when he started nine games.

Career Development

"I've always learned off some of the best players around me at my former club and it's been incredibly beneficial for my professional development," he comments. "However, for a developing defender, 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 top-level club, it's not promised because there are elite performers throughout the squad. I wanted somewhere where they can have confidence that I might make mistakes at certain moments but they will look under that and see I can keep pushing and pushing."

Early Experience

Quansah recalls his loan to the lower division club in the later part of that season where he debuted at professional level – multiple matches, to be exact. There were "multiple reality checks", he notes with a grin, beginning with his first game; a 5-1 defeat at their opponents.

"That represented a genuine revelation," Quansah reflects. "It was a really valuable part of my career because I aimed to take the subsequent progression to regular senior competition. Every game I learned something new. That's where I understood how valuable practical knowledge and playing games was. You could suggest it informed my decision in the off-season."