Quansah, 23, came through Liverpool's academy and made 58 first-team appearances before opting to leave Anfield in search of regular minutes, having fallen behind Ibrahima Konaté and Joe Gomez in the centre-back pecking order alongside Virgil van Dijk under then-manager Arne Slot. The move included a £55 million buy-back clause inserted by Liverpool.
Speaking ahead of England's World Cup opener against Croatia in Dallas, Quansah reflected on the decision.
"Last summer it was a really tough decision to be honest, to walk away from my boyhood club — a club I've been at all my life. But I just knew it was the best thing that I needed for my career, to be playing week in week out."
He explained the self-belief that underpinned the move.
"People who know me know I back myself no matter what and I feel like I'm capable of playing at the highest level and I wanted to show that this season. To be rewarded being selected for the World Cup is an absolute honour and it's all down to hard work and I've put in over the past 12 months."
The gamble paid off emphatically. Quansah made 43 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen across his debut season, becoming a regular fixture in both the Bundesliga and Champions League, and scored a crucial late equaliser against Hamburger SV on the final day of the season. His form prompted Thomas Tuchel to hand him his senior England debut in the final World Cup qualifier away to Albania in November 2025 — and ultimately to select him ahead of Manchester United's Harry Maguire for the World Cup squad, a decision Maguire described publicly as leaving him "shocked and gutted."
Quansah was asked whether he believes leaving Liverpool has made him a better player, and was careful to push back on that framing.
"Yeah, I don't really look at it like that, to be honest. I'm just working hard every day, working hard each game. I feel like with every game I play, I'm getting better. I'm only young, so as long as I keep my head down, I keep grafting away, I know I'm going to be in a good place, and it's just sticking to what I know and sticking to the goals that I've set myself, and hopefully I can achieve everything I want."
He also reflected on the value of Champions League experience gained at Leverkusen.
"It was massive for me playing in the Champions League. We played top teams in England and we played well, so it was always good to play well in those games and you can never take those nights for granted, they're so special. Unfortunately, we won't be doing that next season, but there's always opportunities in another environment to show yourself. But like I say, I just need games. I needed experience and I still need games and experience to keep going."
Quansah's versatility — comfortable at centre-back or right-back within Leverkusen's back-three system — has made him a player Tuchel values for the flexibility he offers across England's defensive line. No Liverpool player featured in England's World Cup squad for the first time since before 1966; Quansah's inclusion, achieved entirely in a different shirt, is the closest the current squad comes to bridging that gap.
For a player who left Anfield to be seen, the World Cup is the biggest stage there is. He has already convinced one manager. Now he gets to try to convince everyone else.