When Liverpool last returned to training following an international break, Jurgen Klopp made his feelings on breakout star Jarell Quansah perfectly clear.
“Jarell…Virgil 2.0, reloaded. Yeah, he’s good,” the German said to reporter Vinny O’Connor, with Sky Sports in attendance at the session.
Quansah was just nine games into his Liverpool career at that point, last November, and had only started five times for the Reds. Fast forward four months to the next international break, and the 21-year-old is already far more established.
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Admittedly aided by a season-ending injury suffered by Joel Matip in December, he has now made 25 appearances to date for the Reds, won his first trophy, and scored his first senior goal. Consequently, he has more than vindicated Liverpool’s decision to turn to the defender this season rather than sign a new centre-back last summer.
Surprisingly, Quansah was yet to play competitively alongside Virgil van Dijk back in November. But now the pair have made 13 appearances together, selected as Klopp’s starting centre-back partnership on 10 occasions, with it a sign of his increased prominence in recent months.
Flattered by ‘Virgil 2.0’ comparisons, the 21-year-old is relishing playing alongside the Liverpool captain on a more regular basis.
“It’s a massive compliment, what he’s been doing over the last five or 10 years has been unrivalled, especially in the Premier League,” Quansah said. “He’s had flawless seasons, especially when they won the league and the Champions League.
“He’s been a vital part of what Liverpool’s identity has been, so
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