Andros Townsend has shared on talkSPORT that the Liverpool players on England duty used to tell Danny Ings that he is ‘perfect for Klopp’ prior to the striker suffering long-term injuries at Anfield.
The Crystal Palace winger added that the now-thriving Southampton hitman was ‘very unlucky’ at Liverpool.
Ings suffered a number of long-term injuries at Anfield, which didn’t allow him to showcase his true worth on Merseyside before he was sold on a permanent basis to Southampton for £20 million in 2019 [BBC Sport].
Despite suffering such problems, Townsend praised Ings for how he has fought back and become one of the most fearsome strikers in the league.
“He was very unlucky, wasn’t he?” said Townsend. “He got his big break and then not long after Klopp came in he got his big injury.
“I remember I was in the England squad with him, at the time and all the Liverpool players were saying ‘Ingsy, you are perfect for Klopp and the way he likes his players to work off the ball. You are going to be straight into that starting XI’.
“I think a week later, he done his knee, so he’s very unfortunate. But fair play to him. He has come back a few times, picked himself up and got himself going again. Hopefully, now he gets another chance.”
If Ings didn’t suffer those injuries then there’s no doubt that he would have played his part in the Reds lifting the Champions League and Premier League title.
It could be argued that Ings, who scored against Liverpool on Monday night as they suffered a 1-0 defeat at St Mary’s, would get into Klopp’s starting XI, or at the very least, be first change right now.
But the Englishman has put all of the behind him now and he will be hoping to guide the Saints to Europe this term.
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