Jarell Quansah has burst onto the scene for Liverpool this season (Photo: Getty)
Jarell Quansah has been ‘outstanding’ this season but the young Liverpool star isn’t ready to be called up to the England squad.
That is the opinion of former Manchester City and Three Lions defender Micah Richards who was discussing why he thought the 21-year-old had been overlooked by Gareth Southgate.
Quansah only made his senior Liverpool debut at the start of the season but has gone onto become a key player for Jurgen Klopp amid his side’s defensive injury crisis.
With Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate often sidelined, and with Joe Gomez filling in at full-back in the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson, the young centre-back has had to step up and Klopp’s faith has been rewarded.
Quansah’s efforts have helped Liverpool to the top of the Premier League, win the Carabao Cup and make the Reds the favourites for the Europa League.
Though a call-up to the England squad was always unlikely, it is strange that his name hasn’t even been mentioned among the centre-backs that Southgate could call-upon, even though it’s probably the weakest area in the team.
With Euro 2024 on the horizon, Quansah has little to no chance of making his senior international debut until next season, but Richards is wary of overhyping the starlet and suggests that his form may have been over-exaggerated because of an impressive teammate.
Micah Richards has praised Quansah’s performances, but says it’s far too soon for an England call-up (Photo: Getty)
‘He’s not played every single game and he probably wouldn’t be playing if other players were fit,’ the former full-back said on The Rest is Football podcast.
‘I think the factor of playing alongside [Virgil] Van Dijk has obviously helped him. If it were say Quansah and Gomez, and he was playing at the same level , I’d probably agree that [he should be in England contention].
‘He has been outstanding for a young player, especially in the Man City game where they had [Conor] Bradley at right-back, and he was playing at centre-back. He really showed his maturity in that game.
Quansah has benefited from playing alongside Liverpool captain and legend Virgil van Dijk (Photo: Getty)
‘But in terms of England, I think it’s a little bit early for him.’
Fellow pundit Alan Shearer concurs that Quansah has the potential to be a massive player for club and country, adding: ‘I like him and I think he’s done really well.
‘He struggled a bit in the first half [last weekend] when Brighton let him have a lot of the ball. But in the second-half, he more than grew into the game and was brilliant. He read it really, really well.
More Trending
‘Without a doubt, he’s got huge potential. To be thrown into the pressure cooker at Liverpool and the way it’s going at the minute, he’s obviously got a lot about him and he’s only going to get better.’
For now, Quansah’s focus will be on winning the Premier League title, a quest that continues on Thursday night when Liverpool host bottom of the table Sheffield United.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.