Ings: “I’m Feeling Strong”

Danny Ings began his Liverpool career showing signs of promise. Hard work, graft, a touch of pace and an eye for goal. He was one of the bright spots as Brendan Rodgers’ time as manager neared its end and looked a perfect fit for Jürgen Klopp when the German arrived on the scene.

In his first training session with Klopp, Ings blew out his left anterior cruciate ligament. A year later he returned to action only to see his right acl damaged in a League Cup match against Tottenham. The second injury, less severe than the first, required a nine-month layoff.

It all added up to nearly two years missed at a time when Ings should have been developing from promising young striker into finished product. Now, though, he’s finally back in training again and says he’s feeling strong as he works towards being able to take part in the upcoming pre-season friendlies.

“I’m doing really well at the moment,” Ings told the club’s official website. “I’m feeling closer and closer every day. I’m back doing ball work. My fitness levels are getting back, [but] it has been a while. I’m enjoying it and I’m feeling strong.

“If you dwell on things too long, you’ll never make it back. You need to obviously be hurt for a while but then you need to get your head down, focus and crack on. That’s always been my mentality. There wasn’t really any other choice.”

There has been talk that a loan for Ings, who is now 24, could be on the table—at least a short-term one that might give him playing time for a few months with a lower league side without stopping him from returning to Liverpool should the club need him at some point.

That, though, will wait until he rejoins full training with his teammates over the next few weeks and, hopefully, sees a bit of match action before the season kicks off on August 12th. For now, that—getting back to full training and then to playing again—is the only thing Ings is focused on.

“For now it’s just to get as healthy as I can, get as strong as I can and get fit,” he added. “And to integrate with the lads as soon as possible and just build from there. I’m not setting any big targets. I’m trying to accomplish small things at a time.”