Jurgen Klopp loves what he sees from Jarell Quansah at Liverpool. The young centre-back broke into the first-team setup this season and is taking every opportunity in his stride.

He’s certainly impressing Klopp. The Reds’ boss was asked in his press conference on Thursday whether Quansah has surprised him with his efforts so far.

“If you’d asked me before pre-season, that he would have been that good, then I would have been surprised,” said Klopp. “But since then, I saw him every day and I’m not surprised about it anymore because he showed since the first day how good a player he is, and how good a player he will be.

“Great to have a boy from our own academy with that quality and potential. We will see where we end up but it’s really promising.

“He’s doing extremely well so far, he’s really cool as well. Good on the ball, aggressive in the challenges – has everything you need. And probably a lot of space for improvement and development as well.”

Quansah is becoming one of the highlights of the season for Liverpool. As Klopp says, it’s always particularly special when a youngster from the academy breaks through – and in this case, the defender has been with the Reds since he was five.

We can’t wait to see what a player he can become because he really does have all the hallmarks of a top defender. He’s quick, strong, can pass and above all, his composure is off the charts for someone so inexperienced.

While he need to see a lot more before we’re saying ‘Virgil van Dijk’s successor’, it really does feel like Quansah has a place in the squad going forward if he continues on this path. Klopp certainly likes what he sees – and that’s always a good sign.