- Van Dijk praises Nunez
- Never doubted Nunez
- Scored seven times in the last 10 matches
WHAT HAPPENED? Nunez netted a brace in Liverpool's 3-1 win over Southampton in the Premier League on Sunday. The 23-year-old was criticised after a slow start to life at Anfield, but is now up to seven goals in his last 10 appearances. Nunez's latest match-winning performance earned him applause from Van Dijk, who has hailed the Uruguayan for ignoring outside noise and proving his worth for the Reds.
WHAT THEY SAID: The Liverpool defender told reporters after the Southampton game: "Obviously he has all the qualities for a modern-day striker. There is a reason why we bought him and he's maturing, he's stayed patient, kept his head down, and played and that's a credit to him, and hopefully, he can keep scoring and stay important for the group.
"We never doubted his quality but obviously when you have a price tag like that and the goals are not flowing like you want it, it's good and I think he's done very well."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Van Dijk went on to discuss Roberto Firmino's surprise omission from Brazil's World Cup squad. He believes his Liverpool colleague deserved a spot in Tite's ranks, but insists he is not dwelling on the decision. ''It’s Brazil. I think Bobby should be in, but who am I to say that? It’s a decision for the manager to make and fortunately for Bobby, he’s going on holiday,'' said Van Dijk. ''He took it on the chin, all you can do is recover and be ready for the rest of the season and I think he will do that.”
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL? Liverpool will be in action just two days after the World Cup final as they take on Manchester City in the Carabao Cup round of 16 on December 20.