Jarell Quansah has opened up on his decision to leave Liverpool last summer, insisting he has no regrets while acknowledging that football can take him anywhere in the coming years.
The 23-year-old centre-back departed Anfield last summer in a deal worth an initial £30million to Bayer Leverkusen, with a further £5million available in add-ons.
It was a surprise move for a player who had come through the Liverpool Academy and made 58 senior appearances for the club, but Quansah has since vindicated the decision with a strong debut campaign in Germany.
The defender made 44 appearances for Leverkusen last season, including 11 starts in the Champions League, establishing himself as a reliable figure in the squad.
He is now in North America with England as part of their World Cup squad, with the Three Lions preparing for their final group stage fixture against Panama on Saturday evening.
Liverpool, for their part, have taken the unusual step of negotiating a buyback clause worth €60million in the original transfer agreement, and have already finalised a contract with the player should he return to Anfield in the future.
It is in that context that Quansah addressed the circumstances of his departure and what may lie ahead.
“I don’t like to dwell on ifs, buts and maybes,” he said to BBC Football Daily.
“The decisions I make I am always backing myself and I am not going to dwell on them.”
”I knew I needed almost guaranteed playing time and I am not naive enough to think that would come automatically at a club like Liverpool.”
”So I left for a top club playing in the Champions League, playing week in and week out and I played 44 games or so.”
”That is so, so valuable for my career.”
“And it’s not just about me, it’s not just about the now.”
“It’s about the future as well.”
”Like I say, I’m definitely progressing and getting better and better.”
Speaking to BBC Football Daily, Quansah was equally candid about the unpredictability of his future, refusing to look too far beyond the present moment.
“I always think about the now, really. We’ve got a massive tournament ahead of us, and at World Cups anything can happen from one week to the next.”
”You just don’t know with football, just like I didn’t know exactly when I was going to leave Liverpool and my time at Bristol.”
”So you can be anywhere in the next two years, you can be anywhere in the next 10.”
”I’ve just got to think about how I can affect the now and be the best version of myself right now, and that’s all I can do.”
With Liverpool holding a buyback clause and a contract already prepared, the door back to Anfield remains very much open.
Whether Quansah walks back through it will likely depend on how the next chapter of his career unfolds.