Danny Ings says the fact that he ‘wasn’t playing consistently’ at Aston Villa was a big reason why he decided to leave for West Ham United during the January transfer window.
The 30-year-old was behind Ollie Watkins in the pecking order at Villa Park, starting only nine Premier League games this season before he headed for the exit door.
Relegation-threatened West Ham put £15 million (Sky Sports) down on the table for Danny Ings, who added that he ‘couldn’t say no’ to the Hammers because of the ‘size of the club’.
In previous seasons, David Moyes’ side have been pushing for Europe, but during this campaign, it has been a relegation fight, which has probably been eased because of their 1-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday which takes them to 37 points.
Whilst those in West Ham colours can rest easy, in that regard, this is also a chance for Ings and the club to win a trophy as they prepare to take on AZ Alkmaar in the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League on Thursday night.
After a season of frustration because he has been sat on the bench, if Ings can add a medal to his name, then it will be a happy ending, with the striker talking about the speed of his move to West Ham, as he told Stadium Astro.
“It happened very fast,” said Ings. “I think within 48 hours or so, the move happened, which was probably the quickest one that I have had.
“At Villa, I was enjoying it. I was playing well. But I wasn’t playing consistently. I wanted a different challenge. I thought that West Ham were a good fit for me, so I decided to make a decision to move down.
“I have been lucky enough to play for a lot of big clubs. The opportunity came up and I couldn’t say no because of the size of the club and the success in previous seasons. I know this season is a lot more difficult.”
INGS’ GAME TIME AT WEST HAM
Since moving to London, he has made only five starts in the league, and during West Ham’s most-recent win over Manchester United, he was an unused sub.
He has bagged only two Premier League goals for the club – all coming in the same game when Moyes’ side beat Nottingham Forest.
From that perspective, whilst his game time or goals haven’t increased, he is still scoring meaningful goals because, given that Forest are still in a relegation fight, then West Ham’s win over the Midlands side back in February looks even better now.
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