NAHKI Wells’ first couple of months as a Burnley player have been tinged with frustration, but he admits his return to action was ‘never going to be a fairytale’ as he battles back from injury.

The £5million man is closing in on a Clarets debut just over two months after completing his deadline day move from Huddersfield, and he did his chances of selection no harm with a hat-trick for the Under-23s on Thursday night.

Wells has been recovering from ankle surgery since making the move to Turf Moor, and while his wait for a debut has allowed him to settle into life at the club, he was hoping he’d have been on the pitch for the first team by now.

But that debut could come today, with Wells part of the travelling party for the trip to Southampton.

Asked if his time at the club had been a bit frustrating so far, the Bermudian international said: “A little bit. I obviously had a lot of optimism it would have been sooner but, at the same time, this is the Premier League and I’m coming into a level I’m unfamiliar with.

“I was never going to jump in and just come off the bench after training for three days and score a hat-trick.

“It was never going to be a fairytale like that. It’s always difficult to take a step up.

“I feel like I’m bonding more and more with the lads and starting to get sharper and sharper and show myself.

“Hopefully the management staff are happy with my progression and it’s only a matter of time.”

Wells certainly caught the eye for Michael Duff’s side at Curzon Ashton’s Tameside Stadium on Thursday, scoring his first goals in a Burnley shirt and completing his third 90 minutes.

He was an unused substitute for the Clarets’ 1-0 win over Newcastle in the Premier League on Monday and could again be on the bench at St Mary’s today.

When he does finally see first team action Wells is confident he can bring something different to the Clarets attack.

“I always believe that I can be something different to what we’ve got and hopefully I can show that sooner rather than later,” the former Bradford City striker added.

And while he has had to be patient he said he has enjoyed his time at the club.

“So far it’s fantastic,” he said. “It’s a good club and a well-run club with a good group of honest lads.

“He doesn’t lie when he says he has a good, honest bunch of lads that are well-grounded and want to do well for the football club and that’s what we’re doing.

“I’m buying into that each week. I feel like I came from a similar set-up, a smaller club in the grander scheme of things, and I’ve just fit in and it’s been a smooth transition. I’m loving life at the minute.”