Q&AJarell Quansah new contract interview: 'I want to become a champion with Liverpool'
The 21-year-old defender has committed his future to the Reds and will therefore continue a journey that began when he joined the Academy at the age of five.
To date, he has made 35 senior appearances for Liverpool and was part of the squad that lifted the Carabao Cup last season.
And, after putting pen to paper on his new long-term deal, Quansah told Liverpoolfc.com of his desire to contribute to more success for the club he loves.
Read a full transcript of our interview with the No.78 below…
Jarell, congratulations on signing a new long-term contract. How does it feel to have committed your future to the club?
I couldn’t be happier at this minute. I think the way the new manager has come in, his coaching style has definitely been a massive part of that and I think it is the best club in the world for me to develop at and become a better player. I think the players around me, who I’m looking to work hard off and listen to, I think they’re the best in the position at the minute. So, like I said, there is probably no better place I could be.
You’ve been here since the age of five so this club has been, and is, such a massive part of your life…
Yeah, it’s been huge. It’s sort of shaped who I am as a person as well. A lot of the way the fans are I can resonate with because I have been to so many of the games and have been around it all my life, really. So, I’m just buzzing to be able to get a new contract and extend my stay here.
It didn’t take you long to decide to renew when the opportunity came up, then?
No, not at all – it was quite a quick decision, to be honest. There was never any thought of any other club, just because of the environment we have at the minute as well. I think we’re building, definitely, a winning environment, like we saw last year when we were able to lift a trophy, and I think there are a lot of players here who have still got a bit of unfinished business left, who definitely want to win titles – and that’s ultimately what I want to do as well. I want to be known as a champion, I want to be a winner, and I think Liverpool is the best place for me at this moment.
Can you give us some more details on why you feel Liverpool is the right club for you? Your love for the club is clear, but why is it the best place for your career?
Like I say, I think the intent from the coaches and for them to show how much they want to work for us all to become better players, but they definitely have a lot of insight and a lot of detail that they want to get across to you, and they do all sorts to try to get that across: like video meetings – you’re always watching the games back – they’re pulling you in always for one-on-one chats to see how you are. I think that alone, for me as a player, [is] to try to get better and better as a player because that is what I am in at the minute – I’m probably in a development phase of my career and yeah, I just want to get as much knowledge as I can and I feel like this is the best place for that.
It’s remarkable to think that you only made your senior debut just over a year ago. You made 33 appearances last season and earned a Carabao Cup winner’s medal too – how big has the last 12 months been for your development as both a player and a person?
Yeah, it’s been crazy! I can’t even put into words what happened last year, really. I’ve always been saying I’ve been waiting for the moment of reflection and trying to comprehend what happened last year, but it’s not sunk in and I’m just delighted with what happened last year and the players around me, how they help me. I think that alone just shows how excited I am to sign a new deal.
What about the next 12 months, then? What are your goals for the coming year?
I just want to take each step as it comes, every training session as it comes. I just want to keep trying to get better on the training pitch really and as long as I stay tunnel vision to that… I just want to keep progressing, keep trying to learn, and keep trying to get better and better [by] trying to learn off all the senior players, and I’ve got a lot in my position so anything I can take from them I am trying to do day by day. I am hoping to obviously push as well, hopefully we’re breeding quite a good environment that we’re all challenging for places and as long as we’re doing that I think we’ll all become better players and ultimately become a better team.
Can you give us some insight into what Arne Slot asks of you as a defender, and the similarities and differences with what Jürgen Klopp wanted?
Yeah, there’s a lot of similarities and differences, but I think the modern-day centre-back has to be able to do everything, really, and I think being at a club like Liverpool, you’re always striving to be the best in the world. You’re always striving to be the best in the Premier League [and] the best in the Champions League so I think anything short of that, that’s where the manager will tell you that your standards need to be higher. That’s what you need: you need a bit of toughness, you need honesty at times, and that’s the good thing – you get that with the new boss. Sometimes it’s hard to take but at the same time you need it in your career and it will make you a better player.
It can only benefit your development, too, the fact that you have already worked under two fantastic bosses in Slot and Klopp…
Yeah, it’s massive for me. I think it’s definitely two different playing styles and two different coaching styles as well, but just being able to experience them both and take things off both of them, like you say, it will always help my career.
Are there any specific areas of your game you are working on with the head coach?
Yeah, I think I’m only young so there is a lot of work to do with being strong and being good in the air, because I feel like I am quite athletic and I feel like I can really dominate in the air. It’s just about showing that on a regular basis, really, and getting into good habits and being really consistent. I think sometimes it’s easy to go up and down and show good performances, but as a centre-back I think you need to be consistent. If I look at Virgil [van Dijk] and the best centre-backs in the world, they’re seven or eight out of 10 every game, minimum, and for me to get to that level, that’s all I’m trying to do – to get steady games under my belt and then we can progress from there.
How much has Virgil helped you, on and off the pitch?
He’s been massive for me. I think for him to be skipper while I’ve been here and my direct centre-back who I’ve been playing with, I think everything he has done on the pitch – you can hear him barking orders at me and helping me through the game. And off the pitch he is always coaching me, he’s always telling me different little things, different little insights, a little bit of knowledge on strikers – sort of how they play against you and how to deal with it. But yeah, if you listen to him you can’t really go much wrong!
You’re still only 21 years old so do you feel there is still so much more to come from you?
Yeah, definitely. I’m not shy that I can make mistakes and I can be better at times. I’m always pushing to be the best that I can and working tirelessly on the training pitch to become better for the future. I’m not going to be the complete article, the complete product, now and as long as I know that and the people around me are always guiding me on the right path, it’s [about] me trying to learn everything I can now and hopefully year by year you start to see a better player.
Finally, on your longer-term aims: you’ve now established yourself as a first-team squad member, but what’s next? What do you want to achieve over the course of this new contract?
I want to win trophies. I think Liverpool as a club, that’s what it demands. I think from the Academy days, that’s all you want to do, you just want to win at all costs and for me that’s the greatest honour you can have as a player: to call yourself a champion. So, with the time I’ve got, I want to be able to say I’ve won a Premier League, I’ve won a Champions League. I do think we’ve got the quality to do that and I don’t see why we can’t push for that.