Virgil van Dijk pays tribute to Liverpool team-mate Darwin Nunez following returning striker's huge 99th-minute winner against Nottingham Forest

The Uruguayan striker, who had missed the club's previous Premier League clash against Luton Town due to a muscle injury, returned to Liverpool's matchday squad against Nottingham Forest on Sunday. He was introduced into the game around the hour mark and then netted the all-important goal for his side in the 99th minute to seal a vital win.

After the match, Reds captain Virgil van Dijk hailed Nunez's impact on the game and highlighted the Uruguayan striker's importance to the team in the 2023/24 season.

Speaking to reporters, the Dutch player said, "No, no, no, the game was not over so I still had the belief. We’ve shown over the course of my time here that we never give up. We always keep going. We found a way and that’s the most important thing. Darwin's been so important for us this season and it’s great to have him back out there. It’s a big goal and a well deserved win in the end."

The former Benfica forward is the club's highest goalscorer after Mohamed Salah across all competitions. He has 10 Premier League goals to his name in 25 matches this season and has been on target for the club in three matches out of their last four league games.

The Premier League leaders will now shift focus to Europe as they are set to take on Sparta Praha in first leg of their Europa League round of 16 fixture.