"He fits like a glove" - Michael Owen heaps praise on 'next generation' Liverpool forward [Exclusive] 

To say Luis Diaz has hit the ground running at Liverpool would be quite the understatement.

The Colombia international, who signed from Porto at the end of January for a fee that could reach as much as £50 million, has enjoyed a superb opening few weeks to life on Merseyside.

Quick and direct, with an eye for goal, Diaz has given the Liverpool forward line that was already jam-packed with quality another dimension as they go on the hunt for an unprecedented quadruple this season.

Two goals in his opening 12 games at Anfield doesn't quite paint the full picture of a tricky, explosive and teak-tough winger who fits Liverpool's game-plan and philosophy perfectly.

His brave header to open the scoring at Brighton earlier this month was a perfect snapshot of a player who prizes bravery and work ethic as highly as he does the silky skills that he has shown plenty of in his fledgling days at Anfield.

"With Luis, it was interesting because the way he played at Porto is exactly the way we want him to play here," Jurgen Klopp said after the Brighton win. "So he hasn't had to adapt really."

Having watched Diaz for some time before Liverpool moved late in the January window to fend off competition from Tottenham, former Reds striker Michael Owen agrees that the South American is tailor-made for the team's style.

Owen, who won two League Cups, the FA Cup and UEFA Cup during his time at Anfield, has watched Diaz closely during his work for BT Sport covering the Champions League.

And in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, the ex-England striker agrees with Klopp's assertions that the Colombian suits Liverpool's way of working up top:

"I was doing the game for BT when he first played and I said on air at the time that this lad looks as if he's born for that red shirt," Owen said.

"His style of play, I know he's a good player, I've covered the Champions League for years, but off the ball, as soon as he lost the ball I just saw him as a Liverpool player.

"He fits like a glove. They press high, the fans love it when they see someone winning it back, chasing and he was doing it in the first minute in that red shirt."

Liverpool squad are helping Luis Diaz adjust to life in the Premier League

Brighton & Hove Albion v Liverpool - Premier League

Diaz is known to have leaned on the Spanish and Portuguese speakers within the Liverpool squad to help him settle, with the likes of Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota all helping out.

It was a similar situation in 2020 when Japan star Takumi Minamino signed from Red Bull Salzburg, in Austria, and didn't speak much English.

Liverpool took the decision to move Minamino's No.18 shirt peg inside the dressing room to between the No.8 and No.10 that were held by Naby Keita and Sadio Mane, respectively, given their ability to converse with Minamino, having both also played for Salzburg.

It meant moving Roberto Firmino further down the line. The Brazilian had no issue with helping his new team-mate adjust to his new life as a Liverpool player on Merseyside, where the pressure and intensity can often suffocate new arrivals.

The move was taken to help the forward settle quicker in a new environment where language barriers can be an issue. Liverpool's squad, as a whole, work hard to ensure new signings feel like they belong as quickly as possible.

After adding Jota to a front three that many previously thought were unbreakable in Salah, Mane and Firmino, the further addition of Diaz looks like it's another fine piece of business for Liverpool's envied recruitment team.

Owen adds:

"We've had this unbelievable trio for years in Mane, Salah and Firmino but Jurgen has brought in Jota and Diaz and they can be the next generation.

"They are here now but you can also see that succession plan too."