Danny Ings Aiming for England Call-Up After Strong Start to Life at Southampton

Danny Ings is relishing feeling important again, as he has stepped out of the shadows at Liverpool to become Southampton's brightest spark so far this season.

Danny Ings is relishing feeling important again, as he has stepped out of the shadows at Liverpool to become Southampton's brightest spark so far this season.

Ings joined the Saints on loan on deadline day and will not be returning to Anfield, with an arrangement in place to make the move permanent for £20m at the end of the season.

The former Burnley striker was a popular figure at Liverpool but with little chance of breaking into the Reds' formidable front three, he decided that he needed to move on to pastures new.

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"There is a part of me that will miss them, as Liverpool is a club of such magnitude," Ings told the Daily Mail in an interview at Southampton’s Staplewood HQ. "I was part of a squad that reached the Champions League final last year. 

"But the feeling [of being important] is something I’ve craved for a long time. I want to show people what I can do again."

And that is exactly what he has done, scoring three times in his first five appearances for Southampton - the same number of goals as the rest of the team put together.

With England currently suffering from a dearth of strikers and Gareth Southgate being a known admirer of Ings, is he hopeful of adding to his one international cap?

'If it happens one day, I'll be over the moon. It will feel like a great comeback story. I don't want to be a guy that has one cap,' Danny Ings on England, closing the door at Liverpool & being back at home (interview) 🔴 https://t.co/Q3GgJ6XwqT

— Dominic King (@DominicKing_DM) September 28, 2018

"There are a lot of unbelievable footballers in this country," said Ings. "They did so well in the World Cup and have really come on under Gareth, so it is going to be difficult to ever make a squad again. 

"If one day it happens, I’ll be over the moon. That will almost feel like a great comeback story."

Ings was ineligible to face Liverpool last weekend but will be back in contention for Saturday's trip to Wolves.