With less than 10-minutes left in the match, Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers looked set to hand Burnley transplant Danny Ings his competitive bow for the Anfield outfit as the Northern Irishman looked to break the deadlock with Stoke City. Just moments away from replacing Philippe Coutinho, the Brazilian unleashed an unstoppable, curling shot from distance that not only made sure that the Reds left the Brittania Stadium with all three-points, but that the 23-year old would have to wait to get a run out.
“I was just itching to get on. I kept looking at the clock to see how much time I had to make an impression,” he told the club’s official website. “I had to stand up, go through set-pieces and then I saw everybody ripple. A player like that can pull something out of the bag, win the game and collect the points. That goal was superb – it’s credit to him, he’s such a fantastic footballer,” continued Ings, before adding, “Obviously I was over the moon with the result and hopefully my debut will come soon.”
The new Reds forward could get his chance this Monday when newly promoted AFC Bournemouth travel to Merseyside with Rodgers keen to get his new signings integrated into the side as quickly as possible. Ings, of course, has already found the net for his new side during their extensive pre-season preparations, but doing that against a second tier side is vastly different to finding the net against Premier League calibre opposition, and to that end he’s looking to improve day in and day out on the training pitch as he waits for his opportunity to show what he’s learned.
“I come in every day with a smile on my face because I know I’m working with good people and fantastic players. I’m over the moon that I’ve settled in quickly,” enthused the ex-Burnley man. “The only thing that I do concentrate on is improving every day as a player and as a person. I try my best not to leave the training pitch without knowing that I’ve improved some part of my game, whether it’s speed, tactical or technical,” explained the 23-year old with an obvious sense of pride. “It’s important that I work hard every day to become the best I can be for myself and for Liverpool.”
