Danny Ings has a lot of work ahead if he is ever going to cement a place in the Liverpool first-team. But scoring stunners for the reserves is a start.
When you have got Daniel Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane, Adam Lallana, Divock Origi and Roberto Firmino ahead of you in the pecking order, it is fair to say that first-team opportunities are not going to be coming around too regularly.
Therefore, it was something of a surprise that Danny Ings remained at Anfield this summer, having made just one appearance under Jurgen Klopp after rupturing his cruciate ligament mere weeks into his Liverpool career.
Although Klopp himself insisted that the former Burnley forward had a key role in his plans for the upcoming campaign, even rejecting a loan offer from Sunderland towards the end of the transfer window, according to the Daily Mirror, a lack of European football means chances for Ings to impress could be few and far between.
Yet, on the face of it, Ings is a player that fits snugly into the Klopp mould; a tireless presser, a willing runner, strong in the air and effective one-on-one. However, as his competition continues to dazzle the rest of the division with their high-octane interweaving and clinical finishing, the 24-year-old’s return from injury has been rather overlooked.
Not by Klopp though. The former Dortmund coach leaves no man behind in his search for a tight-knit band of brothers, and he was present to watch Ings score clinically in the reserves’ 4-0 thrashing of Leicester a few weeks ago. He will no doubt have been impressed then, as the rambunctious forward guided a stunning header into the top corner on Sunday afternoon, his second in Liverpool’s 3-0 win against Sunderland.
But who does Klopp drop for the returning Ings? Does he really possess the skill set to lead Liverpool’s line, or the speed of thought and feet to fit in to their incessant attacking carousel? Twitter, the cumulative voice of reason, is not too sure.
Ings scores twice for #LFC under 23s today. I can see a team fighting relegation making a very big bid for him in January.
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