Liverpool defender hoping for a less hostile reception at Kenilworth Road for U21s clash
Quansah was part of the Reds squad for 1-1 Premier League draw last season
Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah is looking forward to receiving what he hopes is a less hostile reception when he runs out at Kenilworth Road for the England U21s against Austria U21s this evening.
The 21-year-old is expected to remain in the starting line-up from Saturday’s goalless draw with Northern Ireland U21s in Ballymena when the Young Lions take to the pitch this evening, the first U21 international hosted in Bedfordshire since a 6-0 victory over San Marino in 1993. Quansah has been to the venue once before, with the Reds in the Premier League last term, as Luton almost pulled off one of their most sensational victories, Tahith Chong putting them in front late on, only for Luis Diaz to equalise in stoppage time.
That day there was 11,049 in attendance, although the explosion of noise created when Chong finished off a stunning counter-attack made it feel like thousands more. Quansah himself had been an unused substitute on the evening, but discussing the atmosphere, he said: “It will be different. Hopefully it won't be as hostile as the last time I came here. It’s a tight pitch and it almost feels like the crowd are on top of you, but I’ve played in League One before as well, so for me it felt very familiar.”
Quansah is one of a handful of England players who will have experienced Kenilworth Road at its best, goalkeeper James Trafford playing there this term for Burnley, while attacker Morgan Rogers was part of the Aston Villa side who triumphed 3-2 last season. It’s a ground that Quansah, who was at Bristol Rovers in League One back in the 2022-23 campaign, feels is good for the top flight youngsters to get an opportunity to play at.
He continued: “I think so, especially when at Liverpool some of the players have never played in a stadium similar to that. The build-up, the drive when you get into the stadium and you can see the thousands of fans flooding in, you don’t really see that at such a small stadium, but it’s always good. I think you have to make them (changing rooms) bigger now, they’re very tight, but it’s all part and parcel of it.”
Manager Ben Futcher was of the same opinion as his young centre half too, the interim boss having played there twice during his career when at Oldham Athletic and Bury. He is hoping for a good turn-out to watch some of England’s most talented prospects in action, saying: “I was just telling some of the lads who have not played there that when you get a good crowd in it’s a fantastic stadium.
"A lot of the young lads have not played in the older school kind of stadiums where it’s on top of you, under the lights. I’m saying it will be a fantastic night, brilliant pitch, the fans are tight, close to you. If we can get a good crowd in, it will have a really nice feel to it, a good atmosphere and that’s what we want for the players. We want them to get the best experiences they can get.
“I think one or two have played here, but I know one or haven’t and Tom Huddlestone is on the coaching staff and he hasn’t played here either, so it’s interesting. I have years ago. I think they’ve got a new stand now for the Premier League, so that might have changed it a little bit! It will be great, everyone’s looking forward to it and I think it will be a really good atmosphere.”
With England having failed to find the net during their stalemate with Northern Ireland on Friday, dropping two precious U21s Euro Championship qualification points in the process, summing up their efforts, Futcher added: “It’s a difficult place to go against really motivated opposition. It was a frustrating result, but when you break it down and you look at the performance, there wasn’t a lot wrong. We had 80 per cent possession, 20 shots, we just maybe lacked that bit of quality with the final action, whether it was the finish.
"I think if we’d have got the first goal, the stats showed we would have gone on and got some more, but we didn’t get the first goal. They defended well and the longer it went on, the players got a little bit frustrated, but performance-wise, there wasn’t a lot wrong. We were just missing that breakthrough which might have led to more.”