Danny Ings insisted it was "a relief" to get back to scoring ways after he netted the winner in Liverpool's 1-0 pre-season friendly victory over Tranmere Rovers on Friday.

The Reds travelled to Prenton Park to kickstart their preparations ahead of the 2016-17 season and though they had to wait until the 79th minute for the breakthrough, managed to start with a win thanks to Ings' strike.

Profiting from a strong run from teenage midfielder Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ings cushioned a through ball before drilling low past the National League outfit goalkeeper Iain Turner to give Jürgen Klopp's men victory.

It was Ings' first goal since last October, having suffered an anterior cruciate ligament in the first week of Klopp's management and being unable to make an appearance until a cameo off the bench in the final Premier League game of last season at West Bromwich Albion in May.

But as he now edges towards full fitness - the England international is targeting a full recovery as he looks to get back to scoring goals for the club on a regular basis again.

Striker calls it "a relief" to get back amongst the goals

Ings, speaking to Liverpoolfc.com, insisted it was "good" and "a relief" to get on the scoresheet and added: "Obviously, I made my comeback against West Brom but I felt tonight was more of a comeback for me."

The striker, who only joined he club from Burnley this time last year but made an excellent early impression in his first few months on Merseyside, explained his delight at getting through 45 minutes "unscathed" and insisted that he "felt sharp" and "got a goal."

Ings celebrates with Alexander-Arnold after opening the scoring late on. (Picture; Getty Images)
Ings celebrates with Alexander-Arnold after opening the scoring late on. (Picture; Getty Images)

He admitted that he "probably should have scored more" but told reporters that it was "all about" his knee injury "at the moment" and simply "getting 45 minutes" under his belt, rather than scoring goals. 

"It's been a tough six or seven months for me," Ings admitted, revealing that it was also difficult for Joe Gomez who suffered a similarly severe injury in the same week. "But it was a relief when I saw the ball hit the back of the net and then the reaction of the crowd."

The 23-year-old acknowledged that he'd "not had that feeling for a long time" and said "every striker loves that" and "thrives off it." 

Ings keen to use Tranmere goal as a springboard

Although Ings' well-taken effort does not officially go into the record books, given the uncompetitive nature of the game, Ings insisted that the feeling of scoring "whether it be in a friendly or a cup final" is "still the same" to him.

He admitted to missing playing, and scoring, "like crazy" and said he "can't explain how much" he has missed it, continuing: "But as I've said, it's a big relief to be back with the lads and scoring goals."

Ings' aim now is to steadily build towards fitness so that he can feature regularly for Liverpool's first-team in the coming campaign, challenging Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi for a starting spot.

The Reds' No.28 insisted that he's "good to go now" because he "did a bit of extra work over the summer" and "managed to find the right balance" with training and having a break.

"I've worked extremely hard these last six months to get in this position," he continued, reiterating that he's "good to go and available" and insisting: "Hopefully I can build on tonight, keep my fitness going, get more minutes for the club and score as many goals as I can."

Earlier in the day, Klopp committed his long-term future to the club by extending his contract for a further six years - and Ings was pleased to hear the news.

He said that you can "see how positive he [Klopp] is about the place and his humour" and called him "a great asset" for Liverpool and "great for the lads to work for." 

VAVEL Logo
About the author
Charlie Malam
Digital Sports Writer at the Daily Express. First-class Staffordshire University Sports Journalism graduate. Formerly VAVEL UK's Liverpool FC editor and Deputy Editor-in-Chief. Contributor since June 2014.