"I liked him from the first moment I saw him" - Jurgen Klopp praises 20-year-old Liverpool star's impact since joining the first-team squad

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has waxed lyrical about Jarell Quansah ahead of his side's fourth-round FA Cup clash against Norwich City.

Quansah came up through the Liverpool academy between 2008 and 2023. He dazzled during a six-month loan spell at Bristol Rovers in the second half of last season. Former Rovers manager Joey Barton even claimed that the 20-year-old centre-back is destined for the top level of the game, praising his ability on the ball.

The England U21 international returned to Liverpool over the summer and impressed Jurgen Klopp during pre-season. The club trusted him so much that they opted not to sign an additional centre-back to bolster the squad.

Quansah has flourished when given an opportunity this campaign, particularly after Joel Matip's season-ending ACL injury. He has scored one goal and provided three assists in 17 appearances across all competitions to date.

During the Norwich pre-match press conference, Klopp said (via Liverpool ECHO):

"I liked him from the first moment I saw him. I knew he was a good footballer and it's special how calm he is on the ball. It was all about how ready he would be for adult football. Being the best in your age group means nothing. I didn't expect him to deal with it this quickly."

He added:

"His pre-season was super positive. We got asked a lot about signing a new centre-half. We thought about that as well, we don't ignore potential issues. But when we saw him, it was clear we would not go for it. We would have our own solution, without knowing how much game-time he would get."

"He is now a proper, proper part of the squad and the rotation. It's not about performing, it's about sharing the intensity."

Quansah started alongside Virgil van Dijk last night, helping the Reds secure their spot in the EFL Cup final as they defeated Fulham 3-2 on aggregate.

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Didi Hamann believes Liverpool attacker needs to be more consistent

Former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann believes Reds forward Darwin Nunez needs to be more consistent during the remainder of the season.

Nunez has had an exceptional season to date and has looked like a genuine threat down the left flank and the middle. However, the Uruguayan has struggled to remain consistent, which was seen when he went eight Premier League games without scoring between November 5 and December 23.

Hamann told talkSPORT (via Rousing the Kop):

“Nunez I just think he’s too good not to score but I remember he scored in the first half of the season two goals away to Newcastle and everybody thought here we go now, he gets 25, 30 goals this season."

He added:

“But then he had a barren spell for 10 games. He got those goals against Bournemouth the other day, hopefully he comes into goalscoring form on a consistent basis.”

Nunez has recorded 10 goals and 10 assists in 32 appearances across all competitions this season.