As the Three Lions' manager Gareth Southgate unveiled the preliminary 33-man squad for the Euro 2024, four Liverpool players, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones and Jarrell Quansah, were selected to the list for the tournament this summer.
It’s surprising to see Quansah receive his first call from the England training camp ahead of the tournament, despite being through his first Premier League season with several hurdles.
Even though the squad is still provisional and expected to narrow to the final 24, the opportunity marks Quansah’s breakthrough under Jürgen Klopp’s watch this season, which would boost Quansah’s confidence and help him gain international experience.
In this article, I would like to wind down his overall performance this season and how he would stand out.
Impressive First Season In Senior Team
Without any experience in the highest level, Quansah experienced a surge in his Premier League outings, finishing 33 matches with Liverpool in all competitions.
As a defender, the 21-year old outperformed in his first senior season with two goals and two clean sheets, helping Liverpool win 12 matches in his 17 PL appearances.
Defensively, he maintained a sensational discipline, holding only one yellow card in the season while producing an 88% tackle success.
On the other hand, he can somehow be involved in Liverpool’s main tune offensively. Besides utilizing his 6 '3' height to post threats in aerial duels, Quansah completed more than 1,500 passes with an 89.7% completion rate, registering three assists in all competitions.
Before Klopp’s selection, Quansah showcased his potential and gained vital experience from League One’s Bristol Rovers in the 2022/23 season, contributing to his readiness and maturity for the senior team.
He then brought all of his positive traits into Liverpool's preseason scrimmages and friendlies, convincing Klopp to retain him in the PL squad and even letting the manager forfeit the plan of signing a central defender last summer.
Amidst the injury waves this season, Quansah became an important coverage for the Europa League and provided excellent execution.
Despite making some mistakes in several matches, Quansah made the season through quite well for the first time at such a young age.
Compare to other competitors and his possibility for Euro 2024
For Southgate’s other options in the back, Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City) and Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United) are regarded as highly-anticipated contenders for the final list.
Just having his 34th birthday, Walker still remains at a high level defensively and would set to be the backbone of the country.
Shaw’s rich experience with the Three Lions and his elite play in the FA Cup final might have made him qualified. Other than that, Southgate might keep an eye on Harry Maguire who actually performed much better in international matches.
In the 2023/24 season with Liverpool, Quansah had a breakthrough season when he displaced Ibrahima Konate to stand alongside Virgil van Dijk in the center-back position, which was enough to catch Southgate’s attention.
Meanwhile, the possible injury issues in the back, especially when Trippier was injured during Newcastle’s friendly in Australia last week, may provide an opportunity for Quansah.
However, without any international experience, the disqualification would also have seemed normal for Quansah though Southgate’s selection strategy partially switched to favor young and in-form players.
If Quansah qualified, he would likely receive a greater playing minute and challenge in the tournament if the injury issues got worse. Overall, the experience will be added to Quansah’s career no matter the result.