Press conferenceArne Slot on Jarell Quansah role: 'He has shown he has quality and mentality'

The Reds defender has made 21 appearances across all competitions so far this term, stepping into both central defence and as right-back cover.

His most recent involvement came in the Champions League via the bench in place of the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold against Paris Saint-Germain in midweek at full-back.

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Following an impressive Anfield cameo, the No.78 could now be in line to be handed a starting berth in this Sunday's Carabao Cup final at Wembley against Newcastle United, with both Alexander-Arnold and Conor Bradley sidelined.

His inclusion at the national stadium would also follow his inclusion by Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel in his squad for the upcoming March internationals.

"It says a lot about his mentality," Slot told Friday's pre-match press conference at the AXA Training Centre. "Last season I think everybody saw what a talent he is. Then this season started with him starting and I changed him as we all know against Ipswich.

"Ibou [Konate] and Virgil [van Dijk] were and are such a strong combination that he didn't play a lot. But every time he had to play, except for maybe the first one or two games, but afterwards he had to play you could see that maybe he is no longer a talent because as a talent you don't have any setbacks, but the moment you get setbacks it's about you and how you react.

"I think he showed in his recent performances that he's outgrown being called a talent. That's probably what Thomas Tuchel saw and sees as well by giving him a call-up. He did really well the last few times he had to play for us and even in a position he's not completely used to as a right full-back.

"But in my opinion, he has also the qualities to play in that position. He's strong, he's fast, he's very comfortable with the ball and it gives us an extra quality if we play him, which we saw [against Paris Saint-Germain], in terms of set-pieces because he was the one that was this far away from us qualifying for the next round by heading the ball onto the post, because that one was not offside.

"He showed mentality and that he had quality. That's already what we knew when we saw him playing last season."

On how Quansah has bounced back from his half-time substitution on the opening day of the season at Ipswich Town, Slot added: "Although if being substituted at half-time is a setback then almost every player has more than a few setbacks during his career.

"I think it was more that people, from what I said after the game, people were not used to maybe a manager or me being so clear about what I saw and what I did. That in the end probably went to a situation where he got criticised more than what's normal for a player that gets taken off at half-time.

"Again, it's so good to see he managed his way back into it. Now already before the winter break he already had a few good moments as well. Every time we now need him, he does really well.

"I think mentality-wise it might've been a good or big moment for him that Ipswich game, because now he experienced that people were not only positive about him like last season. Although he made one or two mistakes back then as well.

"He also knows now he can fight his way back if people all of a sudden are not positive anymore. That is something I think every player should experience in the start of his career because a football career is never only going up, it's always going a bit like this [up and down]. Now he knows he can fight back also after a situation he experienced at Ipswich, or after the Ipswich game."