Quansah has emerged as a breakthrough star for the Reds this season having been at the Academy since the age of five.
The 20-year-old was handed a sixth start against LASK Linz on Thursday night at Anfield and was influential in the Reds keeping a clean sheet in a 4-0 triumph that secured top spot in Group E with a game to spare. And when asked about Quansah’s performance, Klopp said: “For us it was absolutely perfect. Jarell played a super game.
“There couldn’t be better news for the club, to be honest. Before this season, people told us we should buy a centre-half. We knew we had Jarell. Did we know that he would show up like this? Not exactly, but we were pretty hopeful. So the future’s bright. He is our own boy, calm on the ball, good in the challenges, quick, ruthless in the right moments.
“Besides Caoimh he had the most spectacular defensive situations when he saved our backside in some moments, so that’s really top news for us.” Quansah was partnered at centre-back by Konate, who was among three players substituted just 11 minutes into the second half shortly after Mohamed Salah’s penalty had put Liverpool three goals ahead.
And Klopp said: “We took him off and it was a medical decision, no risks – 50 minutes but not too long.”
Young Northern Ireland international right-back Conor Bradley returned from a stress fracture of his back to make a first appearance of the season as a late substitute alongside 20-year-old left-back Luke Chambers, while Kaide Gordon – who hasn’t featured for the first team in approaching two years due to a pelvic problem – was on the bench. “I am so, so, so happy for the boys,” said Klopp. “We have super talents. We saw it again tonight.
“After that long time (out) it would have been perfect (for Bradley) if he had a few minutes with the U21s (at Burnley on Tuesday), but we work in a high performance industry and that means Tuesday or Thursday makes a difference. Tuesday was not right but Thursday a few minutes was okay and we tried to get that.
“Luke Chambers came back after a long injury. He needed time to get rhythm and he’s getting better and better. Top talent as well. “Kaide Gordon is back after a long, long injury spell, incredibly long, and looks super in training. If we can do things like this then we will do things like this, giving the boys not only with words but actions opportunities to make the next step.
“It’s a pure joy to see him back in training, he had a top pre-season with us (in 2021) but then he was out for a long, long time. It’s good to have him back.”
Jurgen Klopp believes Jarell Quansah is justifying Liverpool’s decision not to buy a centre-back this summer – as he explained the early Europa League departure of Ibrahima Konate.
