Danny Ings says he is desperate to prove that he is worth a place in the England Under-21s squad for next summer’s European Championships – and that he dreams of taking his Three Lions career a step further.
The Burnley man has established himself as a feared striker in the Premier League after his early campaign was hampered by injuries, and on Sunday helped the Clarets hold champions Manchester City to a 2-2 draw.
Ings already has seven caps at Under-21 level but feels he has more work to do to win a place in Gareth Southgate’s 23-man squad for the Czech Republic in June.
Danny Ings celebrates scoring against Portugal at Turf Moor
“Age-wise I am eligible for the summer tournament if selected and obviously I would love to go,” he told The Guardian.
“I can’t guarantee selection, of course, but it is nice to know I am in the manager’s plans and my own plan is to give myself the best possible chance by doing as well as I can for the rest of the season.”
Ings’s days with the Young Lions will come to an end when the Euros conclude, but he hopes that will not be the end of his England career.
“I would hope the Under-21s could be a springboard into the senior squad because that’s the dream, to play for the seniors regularly,” he said.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, an ambition I will never give up on.
“At the moment I am only just starting to get noticed but I’m still young, still developing and hopefully, if I ever get the opportunity, I will be able to take it.”
Watch Danny Ings in training with England Under-21s
The 22-year-old has developed rapidly since breaking through at Bournemouth in December 2010.
Back then the Cherries were a League One side, and it was still seen as something of a gamble when a year later their former manager Eddie Howe lured him to play second-tier football for Burnley.
For the next two seasons Ings featured often for the Clarets, but mainly as a support player to Charlie Austin.
When Austin headed for QPR in August 2013, Ings seized his chance and scored 26 goals to propel Burnley back to the Premier League.
“Charlie was a goalscorer and a massive loss for us, but it did give me the opportunity to play more as a striker,” said Ings.
“Before that I was being played in different positions, which was good for my development but not quite what I wanted.
“My preferred position has always been striker and I think I managed to show what I could do.
Danny Ings was prolific in steering Burnley to promotion last season
“I scored enough goals to help us to where we are today. But last season was all about the lads being in it together – it wasn’t about individuals, it was about building a team ethic.”
Quick, powerful and direct, Ings looks every inch the Premier League striker – and he admits that he has had to put in plenty of work to get where he is today.
“I’m absolutely enjoying the Premier League, as you can imagine,” he said.
“I knew it was going to be tough. It’s a new experience for me, coming up from the lower leagues, but I’m starting to grow into it.
“I think I’m building a reputation week by week. Now I’ve started scoring a few goals I believe I can be a threat to other teams but I’m not settling for what I have achieved already.
Danny Ings in training with England Under-21s earlier this year
“The plan is to improve even more, to try and be the best I can be. I know what I have to do whether it’s in the gym, out on the grass – or all the tactics behind it.
“I’ve had a strict gym plan for a few years now to try and improve my power and my speed.
“This year I’m really feeling the benefits from it. Being outside on the grass is the easy, enjoyable part of being a footballer.
“I feel it is the stuff in the gym that has really helped me improve. I’m going to carry on with that because I can feel it has made a difference.”
Ings's Burnley take host Tottenham Hotspur in The FA Cup Third Round next Monday. Click here for tickets.
And you can vote for him as England Under-21s player of the year here.
