It hasn't taken Arne Slot long to impress the Premier League masses - and Gary Lineker is among his biggest admirers. The Dutchman took on one of the biggest challenges in replacing Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, but suffice to say he has thrived on Merseyside to date.

The Reds currently sit first in the Premier League and recently topped the reformatted Champions League table. Not to mention the fact Liverpool are still competing for the FA Cup and the League Cup - though they need a comeback over semi-final foes Tottenham to reach Wembley in the latter.

Lineker, 64, recently travelled to Kirkby to get an inside peek at how Slot is running the show from behind the scenes. And he highlighted five particular features of Slot's work that left their mark on the England legend.

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"Assuredness, a confidence," replied Lineker when fellow pundit Micah Richards quizzed him about Slot's strengths on The Rest Is Football podcast. "You can see how organised he is, how he understands the game really well tactically."

One can see how those two traits in particular - confidence in one's abilities combined with a certain tactical acumen - would make him similar to Klopp. The same could be said for Lineker's point that the former Feyenoord boss has a passionate love for the game and "eats, sleeps and lives" football.

But there was a certain characteristic attributed to Slot that is perhaps where he and his predecessor diverge, as he added: "The calmness as well, I thought was interesting. Because a lot of coaches, they're kind of energetic. . .you don't see that from him."

The last two points Lineker noticed about Slot's Liverpool related more to the environment he has helped foster since arriving at Anfield. And those were reflected through the demeanour of his players, showing just how influential he has become in such a short space of time.

"I tell you what struck me most about being inside the training ground, though, was the culture and the way everybody was," Lineker continued. "And you would expect this when things are going really well, but there was a real kind of joy about the place. A bit of camaraderie. And all the players came down to say hello - or most of them."

Richards joked his colleague may have only seen "the ones you've not slagged off." Not that there's been a lot - if anything - to criticise about Liverpool and their stars so far this season.

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It would be folly to suggest Slot hasn't benefited from the sturdy foundations he inherited from Klopp, not just in terms of playing talent but the club as a whole. Lineker even cited the Dutchman as saying it was "one of the great testaments" to his predecessor, proving he doesn't take that help for granted.

Transitions of power at major clubs tend to be stressful and borne out of chaos, but the harmonious nature of Klopp's exit means Slot was instantly given tools to succeed. But Lineker is clearly impressed with the man putting his own imprint on a team still gunning for a quadruple in his debut season.