Danny Ings: I left Liverpool to be happy

His time at Liverpool was ruined by two knee injuries

Danny Ings joined Liverpool in 2015 with great promise. After a prolific season with Burnley in the Premier League, Liverpool fans were hoping he could bring that goalscoring form to Anfield. Alas, it wasn't to be, as two knee ligament injuries ruled him out of action for a substantial amount of time and saw him fall down the pecking order as better replacements came in. The striker joined Southampton this summer, returning to his hometown in search of game time but more significantly: happiness. In an interview with the Times, the 26-year-old opened up about how he suffered at Liverpool while out of action and why he had to take the plunge and join Saints to save his career. He cited the Champions League final as one of the most painful moments of his time at Liverpool, as he sat in the stands, watching his teammates fall at the final hurdle. "That was one of the moments that obviously broke my heart,” he said. “For any player to play a part in the Champions League, coming on in games, to not then be part of the final was absolutely heartbreaking." He then delved deeper into the mental struggles of knowing he wasn't going to play every week, and how he realised he would have to move on for his own good. “I did get game time towards the end of the season and it was great to have that feeling in the tummy when you stand in the tunnel. It got me wanting to feel that every week, which is what I am getting now at Southampton. “The lads at Liverpool all wanted me to stay, but understood. We used to play cards on the way to away games and it was a different feeling for me because I wouldn’t be starting. “I would cover that up, and I hid that, because I didn’t want to bring any negativity to the group. But it didn’t stop me going home and just sitting in the house with my dogs and being upset. That happened for a long time." Ings summarised his struggles at Liverpool and why he had to leave best when he spoke about what makes him happy. “Although I was happy around the lads and everyone at the club, on a much deeper level I know I wasn’t as happy as I can be. And, when I am happy, I play my best football."