Danny Murphy has praised the impact made by one Liverpool youngster since breaking into Jurgen Klopp’s first team.
Virgil van Dijk’s suspension and injuries to Ibrahima Konate and Trent Alexander-Arnold have created an opening for Jarell Quansah to feature in the Reds’ last three Premier League games, getting his first senior start in last weekend’s 3-1 win at Wolves (Transfermarkt).
The 20-year-old is also included in the manager’s 23-player matchday squad for Thursday evening’s Europa League group opener against LASK in Austria.
Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE, Murphy singled out the emerging centre-back for praise.
The ex-Liverpool midfielder said: “Quansah, he’s been at Liverpool since he was a kid. Young lad, tall, he’s graceful. Did really well, I thought he did well.
“The only area of concern with Liverpool has been at the back because a lot of people say, without Konate, who’s going to cover Trent when he goes missing? Matip, although he’s been great, maybe he’s lost his legs. This young lad’s emerging and seems to be answering a few of those questions.”
Quansah impressed both in and out of possession against Wolves on Saturday. As per Sofascore, he made five clearances, three tackles and two interceptions and won five of his eight duels, while he completed 77 of his 80 passes for a remarkable 96% success rate.
With Van Dijk’s suspension completed and Ibrahima Konate returning from injury, the 20-year-old could find it a challenge to retain his place in the starting line-up, but he’s certainly made a strong case to Klopp for further inclusion in the weeks and months ahead.
You can see Murphy’s comments on Quansah below (from 27:37), via Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE on YouTube: