"Not a league for boys..." - Callum Wilson gives his verdict on Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez

Newcastle striker Callum Wilson has backed Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez to start scoring a regular basis once he has become more accustomed to English football.

There were huge expectations when Nunez, 23, joined Liverpool from Benfica in the summer transfer window.

The Reds forked out an initial fee of £64.2m for the Uruguay international, which could rise to as much as £85m with add-ons.

Nunez has managed a respectable return of 10 goals in 26 games since arriving at Anfield but has been accused of wastefulness in front of goal.

He is without a goal in his last five league appearances for Liverpool, who are now 10^th in the Premier League – 11 points off the top four.

Wilson: Nunez will need time to adapt

Newcastle striker Wilson sympathises with Nunez and believes it is only a matter of time before he settles in the Premier League.

"He is young, he's 23 years old, he has just come to the Premier League which is a difficult league," Wilson said on the BBC's The Footballer's Football Podcast, as reported by Anfield Watch.

"It's not a league for boys, it's a league for men and at the end of the day he's come from a league which is a little bit different.

"It's going to take him time to adapt. But there's obviously no chill on social media so any little thing that happens is becoming a big thing and he’s going to see that, he’s going to be sent that [meme] and he’s going to see people laughing at that.

"And then it just makes you go more and more inward, especially at that age.

"He seems like a vibrant guy, like a no nonsense kind of guy, so he just has to stick his chest out and keep going. If you miss the chances, so what.

"As long as you are in position to make those chances you're not going to keep missing. The clinical finishing will come over time after he's playing more regularly and he’s played in this league for a little while."

Nunez will be hoping to end his scoreless streak when Liverpool face rivals Everton in the Merseyside derby at Anfield on Monday.

The Reds will then face Wilson's Newcastle team at St James' Park on February 18.

Topics: Liverpool, Football, Premier League, Newcastle United, Darwin Nunez, Callum Wilson

Rory O'Callaghan

Rory O'Callaghan is Editorial Lead at SPORTbible. He has previously worked for Sky Sports News, MailOnline and Reach covering football, cricket, boxing and MMA. Tested daily as a Liverpool fan in a Manchester office.

@rory_ocallaghan