Danny Ings talks pre-season, Conference South, Liverpool clips on YouTube and more

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Liverpool striker Danny Ings has reiterated his desire to make a quick start to life at Anfield and impress his new employers during the club’s pre-season tour.

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Ings has been in attendance during our first week of training ahead of the new season, despite being given the option to take time off following his participation in England’s Under-21 European Championship campaign.

Asked about the decision during an interview with our official website, he explained: “I was given the option to obviously have a little bit of extra time because I only had two weeks because of the U21 tournament and stuff.

“But I thought it was really important that I got in, met all the lads, met all the staff and settled in, because if you meet them after the tour, you haven’t got that pre-season when you are gelling with the team and with the staff.”

Liverpool fans are likely to be impressed by his words. The 22-year-old seems determined to prove his worth on Merseyside and avoid joining our growing list of striker flops, currently occupied by the likes of Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert, Fabio Borini and Iago Aspas – who between them have scored just five league goals for us.

“For me, it was important that I got in early, got to meet everyone, got all of the fitness stuff sorted and get my head down and work hard from now. I was just so excited to get in and get started,” he continued.

“I don’t think I have ever been as excited in my career, to be fair. It has been a tough journey to get to this stage, coming from the Conference South to in four years be sat in front of you guys. It is definitely an opportunity to see what it is like to be at such a massive club and see the fanbase in different countries and to enjoy the moment.”

Ings scored four goals in nine games for Dorchester Town in 2010. He joined the Clarets the following year and bagged 43 goals in 130 appearances, including 11 in the Premier League last time around.

He also revealed that he’d been trying to prepare for our upcoming pre-season campaign by watching videos on YouTube. He’s been trying to learn more about Australia and can’t wait to be heading Down Under.

He said: “I’ve heard how extreme it can be out there. Around your hotels, when you get off the planes and at the stadiums, how full they are, and the atmosphere.

“You only have to search on YouTube to see what it is like. To be a part of that will be massive for me and it’s definitely an experience I can’t wait for.

“I think the YouTube video that I watched was actually in Australia. When they were singing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, it just gives you goosebumps.

“To be a part of that is going to be massive for me. It is going to be huge for my development as a player to handle the fanbase around the world, to play in front of them and to perform at the top level.

“The fact that you’ve got thousands and thousands of fans watching you is what we thrive off as players. It’s why we do it. I’m sure the lads will definitely enjoy it and I am definitely looking forward to it.”

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