It’s fair to say that Jarell Quansah has taken to the Liverpool first-team like a duck to water.
Plenty has been said about the fact that the 21-year-old was playing in League One this time last year, but it’s worth repeating.
Prior to this season, Quansah hadn’t played a single minute of senior competitive football for Liverpool. Fast forward eight months or so and the academy graduate is a seasoned member of Jurgen Klopp’s squad.
The plaudits have been plentiful for Quansah, who has played his 26th game of the campaign against Brighton on Sunday.
That performance alongside Virgil van Dijk symbolised everything we’ve come to expect from the centre-back. It rightly drew praise from teammate Alexis Mac Allister. And having heard Mac Allister give him some well-earned compliments, Quansah has decided to send some right back.
Jarell Quansah hails Liverpool’s ‘magician’
The majority of the credit for Quansah’s emergence at Liverpool of course lies with the young man himself.
However, Klopp also deserves great praise for trusting in Jarell completely. It would have been easy for Liverpool to go out and buy a new centre-back last summer but the manager didn’t want to block his path to the first-team. That wasn’t a given.
Finally, Quansah’s teammates should also be lauded for the way they’ve helped he, Conor Bradley and the rest of the youngsters through the season.
One of those to be of most help is surely Mac Allister. The Argentine has been a wonderful signing for Liverpool and must be a dream to play with. According to Quansah, Macca is simply a ‘magician.’
“He’s a magician. He’s so comfortable. I think I’m calm on the ball but I think he’s another level!” the defender told Liverpoolfc.com. “The stuff he does, the way he uses his body, you can pass him the ball and you know he’s going to get on the half-turn and play forward.
“It’s good to have those players in your team. What he’s doing for our identity this year has been vital and he has been a crucial part.”
Mac Allister goes up another level
Had Quansah made this statement a few months ago, a few might have had some trouble believing it. Although he was good as Liverpool’s stand-in No.6, we hadn’t seen the very best of Mac Allister.
Fast forward to the Spring time though, and the £35m man is showing himself to be a truly sublime footballer. It feels like Mac Allister is Liverpool’s most influential player in every game he plays right now.
That was certainly the case on Sunday, when his ‘world class’ pass found Mohamed Salah to win the game for the Reds against Brighton.
Liverpool fans will hoping for more of the same from the little magician as Sheffield United roll into town tonight. The way he’s been delivering recently, we’d surprised to see anything different.