It’s fair to say Danny Ings has had to work hard to get where he is and as anyone who knows him will tell you, that’s not something which will stop any time soon.
In his short career so far, the Winchester-born striker has had to bounce back from rejection by his hometown club Southampton and two serious knee injuries as a teenager before things really clicked into place and his ability shone through.
The potential shown after making his first-team breakthrough at AFC Bournemouth was noted by a number of clubs, but it was Burnley under the management of Eddie Howe who made the move to sign an 18-year-old Ings in 2012, less than two years after he’d been on loan with non-League Dorchester Town.
Source: liverpoolfc.com
But in one of his first training sessions with the Clarets, he suffered a knee cartilage injury which saw him ruled out for six months.
After making his comeback, he was hit again with another serious injury on the opposite knee picked up in the pre-season of 2013.
But the relentless work-rate which has become synonymous with Ings’ character and style of play saw him bounce back again, this time to help fire Burnley to promotion from the Championship in 2014 and earn international recognition with England Under-21s in the process as recognition of his talent began to spread.
The acceleration of his progress from there really caught the eye, as his footballing ability and the variety of goals he scored saw him heralded as the Championship’s player of the season.
A step up into the Premier League for the first time saw the improvement continue, and Ings reached double figures and an impressive number of assists in a team where chances were hard to come by.
Along the way, there were some fine individual performances too. He was the best player on the pitch in an unflattering 3-1 reverse against Manchester United at Old Trafford, scoring a goal but generally wreaking havoc on the home defence and reportedly prompting Sir Alex Ferguson to urge Louis Van Gaal to sign him.
And of course, in Burnley’s Boxing Day harsh 1-0 defeat to Liverpool at Turf Moor, he was the standout performer in that game.
This summer sees a chance for Ings to put himself on the European stage too, joining Harry Kane and Saido Berahino as the strikers in the Under-21s squad that will travel to the Euro Finals in Czech Republic this month.
He could well be a Liverpool player by the time Gareth Southgate’s side touch down at their base in Olomouc if reports are to be believed, with his contract situation at Burnley meaning he’d be available for a cut-price tribunal fee.
So what could fans expect to see from him? As you might have gathered, there’d be no lack of passion, a first-class attitude and a raw footballing talent that has often been overlooked by many from outside Lancashire.
He’d provide a more than adequate foil for a fully-fit Daniel Sturridge and his presence could lead to more chances for both players when working in tandem.
Whilst he’s clearly not an immediate substitute for Luis Suarez, an Ings-Sturridge partnership would certainly bear more resemblance to that than one involving the likes of Mario Balotelli or Divock Origi.
I believe there’s more development and improvement to come from Ings too. In many ways, he’s an old-fashioned footballer who hasn’t had to rely on seering pace or physical presence to make his way up through the leagues.
Given that and with the right opportunities and guidance, he could well prove to be an Anfield favourite and should he move to Merseyside, I certainly hope so.
Big thanks to Burnley fan Nicholas Veevers for providing this piece, make sure you follow him on twitter!
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