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Thomas Tuchel has hailed Jarell Quansah following his England debut, insisting the former Liverpool defender already looks like an experienced international star.
More than a year on from his first call-up for the Three Lions, Quansah was finally handed his debut for his country on Sunday as he started the 2-0 win over Albania, with England completing a perfect qualifying run ahead of next year’s World Cup.
The 22-year-old filled in at right-back and clearly made a good impression on Tuchel, which may well boost the former Liverpool star's hopes of securing a spot in his nation’s squad for next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“We had some difficult moments. To overcome an atmosphere like this, brilliant. Everyone is happy and they deserve it,” Tuchel said after the game.
On Quansah, the England boss added: “I have to say I am very impressed by our debutant, Jarell Quansah. His first cap. He played like he had 50 already. The young guys are good.”
It’s not just Tuchel who was impressed by Quansah’s first senior appearance for England, with the Liverpool academy graduate also gaining plaudits from the national media.
The Guardian gave him a 7/10 rating for his performance, summarizing: “Debutant tested by Albania’s biggest threat in Hoxha. Played more centrally to begin with but moved wider after Saka came on.”
And The Standard concurred as it also awarded Quansah a seven, saying: “The Bayer Leverkusen man was effective on debut, slotting in well at right-back and even proving an attacking outlet.”
Quansah’s debut comes as a reward following what was a surprise exit from Liverpool during the summer, with the defender having made his breakthrough at Anfield just a year earlier.
Since making the move to Germany though, he has managed to nail down a regular starting spot at Leverkusen, with the Bundesliga side turning their season around after Erik ten Hag’s disastrous start resulted in the former Manchester United boss being fired after just two games.
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"I have been learning from some of the best players around me at the time at Liverpool," Quansah said after leaving Anfield. "Being able to do that has been so good for my career. It has always been a big part of it.
"At this part of my career, 22 turning 23, [in January] I need hundreds of games to be where I want to be. I think overall that's why the decision was made and why I thought going abroad was best for me."
Quansah’s decision looks to be paying off, with international recognition underlining the potential many saw in him at Liverpool.
Given the Reds’ defensive issues this season, and the lack of options following Giovanni Leoni’s ACL injury, he certainly could have been a useful option for Arne Slot to have at his disposal right now - not that Quansah will mind too much at the moment as he looks to further his cause for a spot in Tuchel’s World Cup squad.
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