Liverpool legend Sami Hyypia has praised the way in which Joel Matip has adjusted to life on Merseyside.
The towering centre-back has quickly acclimatised himself to his new surroundings in the Premier League, making 14 appearances for Liverpool since the start of the season after moving to Anfield from Schalke 04.
One very impressive statistic is that the Reds have never lost a game when Matip has played, the Cameroon international brings something extra to Jürgen Klopp's defence, he gives them solidity at the back and also brings very good qualities as a footballer on the pitch for his team.
Hyypia impressed with Matip's progress
A player whose career has taken him down a very similar path to Matip, former Liverpool centre-back Hyypia has been very impressed with Matip's start at the club and his quick transition to the Premier League.
Hyypia spoke to Liverpoolfc.com and said that while he knew Matip well from his days in Germany, he's also had the opportunity to play against the then very young Matip.
He praised Matip's overall qualities as a defender and said that Matip is a "good player", noting how his abilities are not just limited to defending and when required the former Schalke man can also drive forward into midfield to link up with the attack.
To survive in the Premier League, good physical strength is certainly one of the most desirable qualities in a player and Matip is definitely a player that qualifies to be in that bracket of players. Hyypia further spoke about Matip and said that he is a "big guy" and a very "dominant player".
Hyypia praised Matip's abilities as a footballer and said that Matip is "very comfortable" on the ball and believes that these qualities all make him a "big part" of Klopp's team.
Hyypia believes Matip is very confident
Klopp has brought a footballing revolution to Liverpool and has got the team playing his way of football, high-press and a strategy that focuses on attacking the opposition throughout the matches they play in.
Liverpool aim to bring the ball out from the back and then begin their build up play and the likes of Matip and Lovren have a very important part in this tactic.
Hyypia explained that Matip's style of play is that he is "comfortable" with the ball and believes that this ability for a defender like Matip comes from his "confidence", he adds that, "he (Matip) is very confident that he can play football".
Some Liverpool fans have even drawn comparisons between the Liverpool legend and Matip, both players have very similar attributes, although only time will tell if Matip can have the same impact as the Finn.
Hyypia responded to these comparisons with light humour and said: "If you want to see similarities, I think there are some – but I think he’s a bit quicker than me!”.