Jarell Quansah responds to Arne Slot's half-time substitution against Ipswich
- Quansah hooked at half-time of Liverpool's season-opener against Ipswich
- Slot admitted youngster was not offering what team needed in difficult first half
- 21-year-old reveals his response to tough decision
By Tom Gott
Liverpool centre-back Jarell Quansah has admitted Arne Slot's decision to substitute him at half-time in the victory over Ipswich Town on the opening weekend of the season was a "kick up the backside".
The 21-year-old started alongside Virgil van Dijk in Slot's first-ever game but managed just 45 minutes of a tricky clash with Ipswich before being hooked at half-time, with the new boss later explaining Quansah was not winning enough aerial duels.
Quansah has not played since, going unused in the two games that followed before the international break, but he has insisted he is trying to remain positive.
"It's never a nice feeling as a footballer to be subbed off at half-time," Quansah told The Times. "But at the end of the day, it was the gaffer's decision - obviously it worked.
"I can only focus on myself and try to improve. I purposely trained the next day so I could get it out of my head and kick on and look forward to the next game, really. That's all it's ever been, I've just been waiting for the opportunity."
He added: "Some players might go under [in that situation], but it's a long season. It's not like it's happened at the end of the season and I've got a month off to think about it. I've got the whole season to try to prove myself.
"It's better it happened now than at any other point in the season. It gives me a bit of a kick up the backside, you could say. I'll keep grafting on the training pitch."
It was Ibrahima Konate who replaced Quansah against Ipswich, and the Frenchman started both of Liverpool's games that followed as well.
"I'm up against the best centre halves in the world [at Liverpool], in my opinion - I think I'll have to be one of the best centre halves in Europe if I'm starting.
"It's always been the goal since I was young. I've always wanted to be the best in the world in my position. I'm always striving for that. It doesn't matter how long it takes. I'm just staying ready for whenever it comes."
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