Jarell Quansah studies Tottenham star in bid for Liverpool place

Jarell Quansah named three players he studies in his bid for Liverpool first-team place. The youngster has been a surprise this season.

Jarell Quansah has been a massive success story for Liverpool this season. The defender joined the Reds for their pre-season in the summer but wasn't supposed to make any great impact.

Instead, Quansah has forced his way into the first-team setup, appearing several times this season across all competitions. it's been a rapid rise for the academy graduate - a surprising one, says Jurgen Klopp.

But maybe it shouldn't be a great shock. Quansah talked this week about the work he's putting in off the pitch where he likes to study other defenders, especially those at Liverpool.

"I used to get high-cam footage instead of TV footage so you could see everything, how the back line moves and a little bit of everything," he said, per the Daily Mail.

"You just need to ask the right people. The way I learn is watching players. These players have played 400-500 games at the top level."

Quansah isn't just studying his teammates, however. He also name-dropped three outside defenders who he likes to watch, including one from Tottenham Hotspur.

"I love watching different countries and the way they defend," said Quansah. "In Spain I looked at Sergio Ramos, [Leonardo] Bonucci in Italy and sometimes I'll go on a mad one and watch any South American defenders.

"Especially Argentinian because I love the way they defend, Cristian Romero."

It's always great to hear about the extra effort players put in to improve their game, especially when they're still so young. Quansah is doing exactly that - and it's certainly helping him climb the ranks at Anfield.

The youngster is quick to point out that there's no better player to learn from than Virgil van Dijk, of course. While that's certainly true, the fact he's also eager to pick up what he can from such a variety of defenders will only stand him in good stead.