14 December 2023 , 21:52
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Jarell Quansah is enjoying a breakthrough season at Liverpool and the 20-year-old is certainly not lacking in confidence, with a recent injury to Joel Matip affording him more first-team opportunities.
Matip ruptured his ACL in Liverpool's win over Fulham earlier this month and looks set to be out of action for the rest of the season. Ibrahima Konate partnered captain Virgil van Dijk in the next game against Sheffield United, but Quansah was handed a second Premier League start against Crystal Palace last weekend.
He also started alongside Konate in Liverpool's 2-1 defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise in the Europa League, scoring his first goal for the club. And speaking after the game, Quansah insisted he is ready to fill the void left by Matip's injury, having started the season hoping to overtake him in the pecking order.
"At the start of the season when I stayed and didn't go on loan, I thought 'I want to play in these games'," Quansah told LFCTV, having spent six months out on loan in League One with Bristol Rovers last season.
"Obviously it's a shame what happened to Joel and my condolences to him, but my idea was to try and get over him anyway and try and be a starting centre-back in the Premier League. Hopefully more opportunities come, I'm just really trying to push on and be the best centre-back I can."
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And Van Dijk has been particularly impressed with Quansah's progress this season, claiming earlier this month that he is ready to step up in Matip's absence. "I think every time Jarell has had the opportunity so far he has done well," Van Dijk said.
Jarell Quansah is enjoying a breakthrough season for Liverpool (Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty Images)"When the moment is there for him — like every other player who will come in when we rotate or have injuries or suspensions — they have to be ready. We still have Ibou [Ibrahima Konate] and Joey [Joe Gomez], but Jarell is a very good option as well.
"For all the younger generation, if you are close to the first team and training with us, you have to soak everything in. He's a good boy. He wants to learn and he is learning.
"If you told me at the start of the season he would be doing as well as he is doing, I'd say you were lying. We will see what the future brings for him but it looks quite bright."