Forced
into the spotlight by a spate of early-season injuries and Joel Matip‘s
subsequent absence through knee ligament damage, the 20-year-old has been a
revelation for the Reds this term.
He has
made 16 appearances in all competitions thus far, including Wednesday evening’s
Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Fulham.
Quansah’s involvement in that crucial tie is testament to
Klopp’s faith in him, but the German has now explained that this is nothing
new.
In fact, he was so impressed by the Warrington-born defender
over the summer that he changed his transfer plans as a result.
He said: “I liked him from the first moment I saw him, but
that’s just what the boy offers from a physical point of view when they’re
really young, 16/17/18, that’s how long I’ve known him.
“I knew he was a good footballer, which is absolutely helpful,
and it’s not rare nowadays but it’s quite special how calm he is on the ball.
“And then it was all about when was he ready for adult football
because, in that position, each challenge is a reality check.
“So you might be the best in your age group but that means
nothing for the adult world because you have strong opponents and they know all
the dark arts, how to bring yourself in the right position.
“He’s dealing with that and I didn’t expect that this quick,
that’s true.
“But the pre-season was super positive. We got asked a lot about
signing a centre-half and we were thinking about that as well, it’s not that we
ignore potential issues or whatever.
“But when we saw him it was clear that we will not go for it,
that we will have our own solution without knowing how much game time he will
get this year.
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