Jarell Quansah, a centre back for Liverpool, has acknowledged that Arne Slot gave him a "kick up the backside" when he decided to replace him at halftime during the team's victory against Ipswich Town on the first weekend of the season.
In Slot's inaugural match, the 21-year-old began alongside Virgil van Dijk. However, he only played 45 minutes in a challenging match against Ipswich before being benched at halftime. The new manager subsequently clarified that Quansah was losing too many aerial duels.
Since then, Quansah has not appeared in any games and was inactive in the two that came before the international break, but he has stated that he is making an effort to be upbeat.
"Being substituted off at halftime is never a pleasant experience for a football player," Quansah stated to The Times. "But in the end, the gaffer made the call, and it clearly worked.
"I can only attempt to get better and concentrate on myself. I deliberately practiced the following day in order to go past it, move on, and, honestly, look forward to the next game. All I've ever done is wait for the right opportunity, that's all."
"It's a long season, but some players might go under [in that situation]," he continued. It's not as if it occurred at the conclusion of the season, and I have a month off to consider it. I have the entire season to establish my worth.
"Compared to earlier in the season, this is a better time for it to have happened. You could say it gives me a little kick up the ass. I'll continue to work hard on the training field."
Quansah was replaced by Ibrahima Konate against Ipswich, and the Frenchman also started the two matches that Liverpool played after that.
I believe that the centre halves at Liverpool are the finest in the world, so if I want to start, I'll need to be among the best in Europe.
It has always been my objective, even as a small child. Being the greatest in the world at what I do has always been my goal. It's what I always aim for. The amount of time doesn't matter. All I'm doing is being prepared for whenever it happens."
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