Coming on as a second-half substitute in Southampton’s opening Premier League match against Burnley this past Sunday, Danny Ings has joined a long list of Southampton youth players to make his debut with the Saints senior side. However, unlike those other players on that list, Ings’ journey to the Southampton first team was a long one.
Danny Ings Provides Needed Spark
Starting Young
Released by the Saints as a ten-year-old schoolboy, Ings has gone on to prove those earlier evaluators at Southampton wrong. Appearing in the Premier League for both Burnley and Liverpool, Danny Ings has finally made his way back to Southampton. His re-appearance on the South Coast could not have come at a better time for the club or their supporters.
Joining a Southampton side that has lacked a true goal scoring touch over the last two seasons, Ings already looks set to bring a major change into this Southampton side. Making his debut in the 56th minute of Southampton’s 0-0 draw against Burnley, Ings instantly invigorated the Saints attack.
Making the Grade
Performing better than both Charlie Austin and Manolo Gabbiadini during the match, Danny Ings has already established himself in the Southampton first team. Registering three shots during the second half, Ings came close to giving Saints the lead a couple times. Besides this, Ings’ arrival also brought a certain energy to the Saints attack while his movement on and off the ball was extremely impressive.
Speaking to the Daily Echo in Southampton, Ings spoke about his debut with Southampton and what he thought of his performance:
“I wanted to come on and make an impact. I was watching the game and I saw there was some spaces either side of the midfield, so I dropped deep, tried creating some chances. Overall, I’m happy with my debut, just a shame we couldn’t get a win.”
Despite not scoring a goal during his debut, Ings seemed pretty sure that the goals would come sooner rather than later:
“I wanted to come on and score a goal today, I was close, but the goals will come and I’m going to get used to the way the lads play in the next few weeks and hopefully I can get better and better for the team.”
Give it Time
Overall, based on his inaugural performance for Southampton, Danny Ings seems like a sure thing to find the back of the net before too long. Once he does, it could be the beginning of the end for the long goal-scoring drought that has plagued Southampton over the last couple of seasons.
Once that occurs, it is possible that Ings could be the missing piece that Saints have sought for the last few years. Finding the back of the net and propelling the club up the table, Danny Ings could be the key to Southampton returning to Europe next season as well as competing once again for both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup.
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