InterviewJarell Quansah's breakthrough season: 'I'm being a sponge and taking everything in'

The centre-half has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign with the Reds at senior level, clocking up 18 appearances so far in multiple competitions.

They have been opportunities the 21-year-old has worked incredibly hard for ever since joining the club's Academy set-up at the age of five.

• Red Weekend sale: Get 20% off full-priced items now

Quansah told Premier League Productions: "You just sort of take it in as it comes. I've not really had a moment to take a step back and think [whether] I really belong or whatever.

"It's taking each game as it comes, trying to improve, trying to learn everything off the players around me.

"We've got a really good group who really do help each other. Especially in my position, I've got world-class players ahead of me. I'm just being a sponge and taking everything in from them and that will help me whatever happens.

"It's hard to enjoy when it's so tough, to be fair! It's just about learning for me at this stage. I'm obviously doing it at one of the biggest clubs in the world, which is good and it's hard.

"When I was younger, that's all I wanted. I'm prepared for this sort of challenge in my career."

One teammate in particular Quansah intently studies and tries his best to imitate is captain Virgil van Dijk.

"I'm blessed to be in the position I'm in," the No.78 continued. "Everything he [Van Dijk] does on and off the pitch, you've got to look at it, you've got to take it in.

"As well as the stuff he does off the pitch, on the pitch he marshals you through it, he talks. I think just having that next to you, you can't do much wrong with just learning off him and seeing what he's doing."

Quansah has made outings in the Premier League, Europa League, Emirates FA Cup and Carabao Cup in 2023-24.

And he's expressed a determination to ensure his contribution leads to Liverpool securing some silverware.

Quansah said: "It's always hard to just stay level-headed and take each game as it comes. But at the end of the day, we're in a final… a player's football career is only short, so you only get a limited number [of chances] to try to win these trophies.

"If you're in the hat for all the games and all the competitions, you might as well go for every title – and that's what we're going to do this season."