West Ham United striker Danny Ings has the chance to avenge his Liverpool heartbreak on Wednesday night in the Hammers’ Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina.
Ings, who joined West Ham for £12million from Aston Villa in January (rising to £15million in potential add-ons), has been part of David Moyes’ squad that has reached Wednesday’s final in Prague, one that for West Ham, is their first major final in a European competition for the first time since 1976.
While a clash with Fiorentina ends a 47-year wait for a European final for West Ham, for Ings, it will give him a chance of redemption after missing Liverpool’s 2018 Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in Kyiv.
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Having made just 22 outings for West Ham and being less than five months into his stay at the London Stadium, Ings says it is brilliant to have got to a major final so quickly after his move, adding the relentless nature of West Ham’s schedule has helped the size of the accomplishment so far to sink in.
“It’s brilliant. It’s unbelievable,” Ings told football.london . “I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of finals before, so it’s huge. From when I came in to now, we’ve grown as a team and yes, it’s a really exciting time.
“Yes, it has. Because of our schedule, we’ve been in nearly every day since I’ve come here, so I’ve had to transition quickly. It definitely has sunk in and I’m really excited to be a part of it.
“We know exactly how big it is. For us, for everybody associated with the club, going back on to when I first signed, the main focus at the time was making sure that we turned things around in the league.
“At the same time, to go on the run we have done in Europe and get to the final is huge. You don’t want to just get to the final, you want to go all the way and the lads are hungry for that.
“I think any final is like that to be honest. You work so hard to get to where we are now. It’s one more game and for us, we’re going to throw everything at it, that is for sure.”
For Ings, it emulates Liverpool’s run to the Champions League final in 2018, where he made four substitute appearances in the knockout rounds, where he totalled just 54 minutes in both last 16 legs against Porto, the quarter-final second leg win over Manchester City and the semi-final first leg win over Roma.
Despite his run of outings off the bench as Liverpool got to the business end of the competition, Ings was left out of the matchday squad for Liverpool’s final against Real Madrid in Ukraine, where Welshman Gareth Bale scored twice as a substitute in a 3-1 win for the Spaniards.
Speaking on the heartache of being left out of the final squad in Ukraine, Ings does look back on it with some regret, adding that he hopes to make up for it with the Hammers in Prague.
“Yes, probably so, yes. I’ve played in a few of the knockout stages before the final, so to be left out of the squad was a little bit of a low moment after we had lost that,” Ings admitted. “That’s football, that’s the way it is and it was a long time ago. If I get the opportunity to play and be a part in this one, it would be fantastic.
“Of course, it would be unbelievable. The main thing is, whoever is on that pitch, we’re all in this together. It’s such a big occasion for us as fans and as a club, it’s one that I’m really looking forward to.
“It’s obviously a different club and it’s a different competition as well so it’s exciting to be part of. I did score that goal before and hopefully, I can play my part in the final.”
Last week, West Ham’s players and staff headed to the Algarve in Portugal for a three-day warm weather training camp in the build-up to the final, a trip the saw David Moyes’ players train in the Portuguese heat ahead of the final, as well as getting some much-needed down-time.
For Ings, it was a round of golf with captain Declan Rice, vice-captain Aaron Cresswell and fellow Englishman Flynn Downes, with the quartet pictured together hitting the course.
But which of West Ham’s English quartet fared best? As Ings describes, it was himself and Cresswell celebrating in the clubhouse.
“Easy win for me and Cresswell,” said Ings. “We played Dec and Flynn at scramble, it was good fun. It was nice to kind of break up the break before the final, we had a really good time.
“I think it’s really important. It’s a different environment for us to train and enjoy the sunshine, a bit of team bonding. I think it’s always a good thing. I did something similar with Liverpool before the final all those years ago, so we had a great time together.
“Just relax, just enjoy the sunshine, just enjoy each other’s company. We’ve got to be there for each other when the final comes and I think we’ve done that, especially since I’ve come in, we’ve stuck together when times have been difficult. We’ve got a really, really exciting game to look forward to now and to enjoy it.”
That trip also saw a viral video of three young West Ham fans getting up in the middle of a restaurant and singing “I’m forever blowing bubbles” to the quartet, as well as defender Ben Johnson and winger Jarrod Bowen, who had all gone out for dinner together that night.
Asked about the video, Ings said it took courage for the trio of Hammers supporting kids to do that in front of their heroes, something which Ings admits he would have struggled to do, despite having 70 Premier League goals to his name.
“It was brilliant, it was unbelievable,” said Ings. You go over there and you see West Ham fans there and it’s fantastic.
“The courage they had to get up and sing, I thought it was unbelievable, I definitely wouldn’t have done that. Fair play.”
Upon completing his move from Villa in mid-January, Ings, completing a mid-season permanent transfer for the first time in his 14-year professional career, said publicly that the move was his “easiest transition” yet.
Despite that, one thing that Ings has had to get used to is trying to lead the line as a lone striker, something which he has struggled at times to do, not helped by the relentless schedule since his arrival, with Ings already making 22 club appearances in his near-five month stay so far.
While his teammates have made settling in feel really quick, by his admission, he feels that as far as getting used to West Ham goes, he knows it will take more time, something he thinks that will be helped by pre-season ahead of next season.
“Of course, yes. I think any player that moves to a new club, it does take time,” Ings explained. “I’m really looking forward to the final, hopefully we can win that and switch off for a bit then start fresh.
“It’s the first time I’ve moved midway through a season, so it was quite new to me at the time. I wouldn’t say I’m completely settled yet, but the group have really helped me with that. I feel like I’ve known them for years to be honest, it was such an easy transition, everybody is good lads and you can see exactly why we’ve been in Europe for the last two seasons.
“To be honest, the lads have made it so easy for me. When I touch on obviously the lads in the dressing room and helping the players settle in, I don’t know whether it was my experience or what but that was quite an easy transition. From the football side of it, obviously I’ve gone from one style of football to another, that’s where I think it takes a little bit of time but I’m enjoying the process.”
Like many other of his West Ham teammates, Ings’ body has quite the collection of tattoos on it, something which he looks to add to if he was to win the first major honour of his career.
Ings admitted that would have to find somewhere to put a tattoo to mark the occasion, but he says it would be worth it and the best to capture off an enjoyable, albeit challenging, first half of a season as a West Ham player.
“If I can find some room, I think it definitely would go on for sure,” Ings revealed. “It’s such a big occasion for us, to go and win the final would just be unbelievable.
“I’ve only been here since January, but I’ve enjoyed every single minute of it.”
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