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Jarell Quansah of Liverpool celebrates with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp during the Carabao Cup Final match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium on February 25, 2024 in London, England. | Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
The manager spoke to the press ahead of Monday’s match vs Aston Villa
In previewing Liverpool’s next match, head coach Jürgen Klopp was asked to comment on his choice to start young centerback Jarell Quansah in the home win against Tottenham. Klopp was clear in his praise of the young Englishmen, who he says deserved the nod:
It’s just like that we play once a week and we just look at who looks in the best moment, and Jarell is one of them. That’s how it is and we don’t play with three centre-halves or whatever, so it means we have to make a decision and Jarell is training really well and we have a lot of training sessions, he is training really well. That doesn’t mean Ibou [Konate] or Joey [Gomez] wouldn’t train well, but Jarell trained really well and that’s how it is and that’s why I make these kind of decisions. That’s the best situation to have, I can just sit there and look at it…
If you have the chance to make that decision, that you can really decide on this high level who is a little bit better and in a little better moment, then you do it. That’s what you do. There is no rotation necessary because then the others have to play anyway, or you have to mix it up anyway, but that’s not necessary now. That’s why he played [and] yes, he pushed himself in a really, really good situation, that’s true. And I think the [Tottenham] game justified that decision. He was really good in that game as well… and again, a very, very talented player. Really, really good.
In a season marred with many injuries, Quansah’s emergence in the side is a massive positive. While Klopp himself has records for meaningful appearances given to youthful players, Quansah’s performances this season have often been enough to make viewers forget his age and experience.
