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Already one of pre-season’s pleasant surprises, Danny Ings got the goal his hard work and intelligent play deserved on Monday against Adelaide United. It was his first goal of the tour, and his first for his new club following his move from Burnley. It should also lock him in as the club’s third striker behind the soon to arrive Christian Benteke and the oft-injured Daniel Sturridge.
"It was a massive moment for me because moving to a new club it can take a little while to settle in," the 22-year-old striker said when asked about his goal on LFCTV following the match. "I felt in previous games I’d been lashing at chances, but I took it well. When you come to a club the size of Liverpool it’s a big deal, and so I’m just delighted I could get my first goal and hopefully it will be the first of many."
Ings has impressed so far, with his movement and link-up play particularly promising. Along with his stellar work-rate, he has been doing just about everything right on the pre-season tour bar putting the ball in the net, and the hope will be now he’s scored his first, the pressure will be off a little bit and more goals will come. If they do, there’s even the chance he pushes Benteke for the starting role in Sturridge’s absence.
Even if he doesn’t, he marks a definite improvement over the bench options Liverpool had on hand last season—at least based on what he’s shown so far in pre-season, which has exceeded the expectations most had for him. However, his goal is clearly to impress to the point where he’s in line for starting minutes no matter who else might be fit and available, or to perform well enough to force Rodgers to play two strikers.
"On a personal level, hopefully I can get as much football as I can," he added. "I want to score as many goals as I can and be as successful for the team as I can. It’s not an individual game, it’s a team game, and with the players and staff we’ve got I think we can go a long way.
