Daniel William John Ings was born on 23 July 1992 in Winchester, Hampshire, and came through the youth systems at Southampton and AFC Bournemouth. A centre-forward, he has played Premier League football for Burnley, Liverpool, Southampton, Aston Villa and West Ham United, and won senior caps for England between 2015 and 2020. In September 2026 he joined League One side Wycombe Wanderers.
Hampshire roots and a start at Bournemouth
Ings joined Southampton as a schoolboy from Netley Central Sports but was released and went on to play for Itchen Tyro. Bournemouth took him into their Centre of Excellence and handed him a two-year apprenticeship in May 2008. His professional debut came on 6 October 2009, off the bench in a 2–1 Football League Trophy defeat at Northampton Town. In September 2010 he went on loan to Conference South side Dorchester Town, scoring on his debut and finishing with seven goals in 13 games before his recall in November. He made his first league appearance for Bournemouth on 28 December 2010 and scored his first professional goal on 1 February 2011 in a 3–2 win over Swindon Town. He left the club with eight goals in 30 matches.
On 15 August 2011 Ings signed a four-year contract with Burnley for an undisclosed fee reported to be around £1 million. Knee injuries and two operations held him back in his first two seasons, but in 2013–14 he became the first-choice striker. He was named Championship Player of the Month for October 2013 as Burnley finished second and won promotion. That season brought him the Football League Championship Player of the Year award for 2013–14, the PFA Fans' Player of the Year award and a place in the PFA Team of the Year. He made his Premier League debut against Chelsea on 19 August 2014 and scored both goals in a 2–1 win at Stoke City on 22 November 2014. He left Turf Moor with 43 goals in 130 appearances.
Liverpool and two knee injuries
Ings moved to Liverpool in the summer of 2015, with a tribunal setting the compensation in April 2016 at £6.5 million plus up to £1.5 million in add-ons. He debuted against West Ham on 29 August 2015 and scored in the Merseyside derby against Everton on 4 October. On 15 October 2015, in his first training session under Jürgen Klopp, he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. A year later, on 25 October 2016, he damaged his right knee in a League Cup tie against Tottenham and needed surgery again. He returned in September 2017 and did not score again until 21 April 2018, in a 2–2 draw with West Bromwich Albion. His Liverpool record stood at four goals in 25 games.
Back at Southampton
On 9 August 2018 he returned on loan to Southampton, the club that had released him as a boy, and the deal became permanent on 1 July 2019 for a reported £18 million plus add-ons. The 2019–20 season was the most prolific of his career: 22 Premier League goals and 25 in all competitions, finishing joint second in the Golden Boot race, one behind Jamie Vardy. Supporters voted him the club's Player of the Season. On 4 January 2021 he reached 50 Premier League goals with the winner in a 1–0 victory over Liverpool. Across both spells he scored 46 goals in 100 appearances.
Aston Villa, West Ham and Sheffield United
Aston Villa signed him on 4 August 2021 for a fee the BBC reported as £25 million. He scored a penalty on his debut at Watford, and a bicycle kick against Newcastle on 21 August 2021 earned him the Premier League Goal of the Month and Villa's Goal of the Season. After 14 goals in 52 games, he joined West Ham United on 20 January 2023 for £12 million, potentially rising to £15 million. He was part of the squad that won the 2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League. He left when his contract expired in June 2025, having scored five goals in 69 appearances. On 27 August 2025 he signed for Championship club Sheffield United, scoring twice in 24 games before his departure in May 2026.
England
Ings made his England Under-21 debut under Gareth Southgate against San Marino on 10 October 2013 and won 13 caps at that level, scoring four times. His senior debut came on 12 October 2015 in a 3–0 Euro 2016 qualifying win over Lithuania in Vilnius. He was recalled in 2020, playing against Iceland in the Nations League on 5 September and scoring his first international goal in a 3–0 friendly win over Wales at Wembley on 8 October. He finished with three caps and one goal.
Wycombe Wanderers
After leaving Sheffield United, Ings was announced by Wycombe Wanderers as a free-agent signing on 25 September 2026, taking the number 28 shirt. He made his debut the next day, 26 September 2026, scoring a 90th-minute equaliser in a 2–2 draw with Reading.
Wycombe Wanderers