Shaun Goater believes “without a shadow of doubt” that Nahki Wells still has a future playing at the top of the English football pecking order.

The 29-year-old striker has already had a taste of life in the Premier League after joining Burnley two seasons ago. But he has yet to prove himself at that level, having been limited to making nine appearances as a substitute for Sean Dyche before being loaned to Sky Bet Championship side Queens Park Rangers.

However, Wells and QPR are off to a flying start to the season, which Goater feels bodes well for the Bermuda striker’s chances of getting another shot at showcasing his skills among the world’s elite in the top flight.

“He [Wells] still has time for that [Premier League] because I think he can create that or make that with things happening with QPR,” said Goater, the former Manchester City striker.

“If perhaps clubs are not interested in purchasing him at this time, he could still make that happen in terms of the Premier League with QPR.

“But that’s also to say that there could be clubs still looking at him because he had a bit of interest in the summer. QPR was the one taking him on loan, but that doesn’t mean that those clubs have totally lost interest in him.

“So the future, in terms of the Premier League, is still alive for him without a shadow of a doubt.”

QPR are fifth in the Championship and on a four-game winning streak, the first time they have achieved such a feat in five seasons.

Wells has a been a big part of the club’s early-season success with five goals in six appearances to date after a slow start, including back-to-back doubles against Luton Town and Millwall.

It is the first time he has achieved the feat in English football and is also the first QPR player in more than nine years to score two or more goals in successive league outings.

Goater added: “He’s done brilliant. Really just continued his form from the national team games [in the Concacaf Gold Cup and Nations League] and, more importantly, he’s taken that summer form into QPR.

“That’s given him a load of confidence and more importantly what he’s done he’s started the season well.

“When you have started the season well as a striker, inevitably you end up being, if not the top goalscorer for that division, the top goalscorer for your club, so he’s very much on song to do that.

“He can achieve those sort of standards, so hopefully no injuries this season and he continues to go from strength to strength in scoring his goals.”

Goater, who netted 84 times in 184 appearances for City, also believes that QPR will look to secure Wells’s services for the long term should he maintain his solid form throughout the season.

“An in-form striker, a lot of things start to happen,” he added. “If Nahki finishes the season very well, perhaps top goalscorer at that club or in the league, I have no doubt QPR would want to buy him. And I think Burnley will look at considering that because they haven’t used him. I think, at the right price, they would sell him.”