Southampton: Le Tiss backs Ings to give long-term boost to Saints

Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier has backed Saints striker Danny Ings to have a long-term impact at St Mary’s following his impressive start for the club.

26-year-old Ings has two goals already for Southampton after joining on an initial season-long loan deal in August.

The deal will become permanent at the end of the season and Le Tissier thinks that Saints will see the benefits of having the former Liverpool man around in the future.

Speaking to skysports.com, he said:

"“The most important thing as a forward at a new club is to get early goals. He’s got a couple so far so it’s a really good start and long many it continue.“He is such a quality footballer and he’s really given the whole club a big lift. I think that’s what was needed as the club has struggled for goals a bit over the last few seasons.“He’ll raise the standard of the players around him as well. i’m sure he would have picked up some good things at Liverpool.“I know he was injured a lot but he’s still had a decent amount of time out on the training ground, and if you can’t learn from training alongside the players they had at Liverpool then there’s no point being in football.”"

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The short-term affects that Ings has had on the squad’s potency in front of goal has seen Hughes’ team look a lot more dangerous. Clever movement and pace in behind has seen him become a constant menace to opposition defences; something that wasn’t provided before.

In many ways, it seems like Saints have managed to get their hands on the Ings that impressed at Burnley instead of the unlucky and out of favour player he became at Anfield.

The connection that he has with his new club cannot be underestimated either. He grew up as a Saints fan and was even rejected as a 10-year-old by the club.

The extra hunger that connection has given Ings in his first appearances this season has seen him become the first-choice striker at Hughes’ disposal ahead of Charlie Austin, Shane Long and Manolo Gabbiadini.

Tonight sees him get another chance to impress but this time in front of his home crowd. Saints host Brighton at home and are looking to claim their third consecutive win in all competitions.

Ings has recovered from a bad blister to be fully fit for this one, whilst fellow forwards Long and Austin face a race against time to see off toe and hamstring complains respectively.

If either cannot make tonight’s game, Gabbiadini could be handed a lifeline after being well down the pecking order so far this campaign.