Danny Ings has been doing what he did at 4.53pm on Saturday afternoon since he was a boy – score goals.
Ings has netted over 125 goals since bagging his first as an 18-year-old for Dorchester Town in the sixth tier 14 years ago this week.
Nearly a decade-and-a-half and 71 Premier League strikes later, the 32-year-old did it again, collecting Jarrod Bowen’s cutback with one touch before slamming a low shot past Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno to snatch a 1-1 Premier League draw for West Ham United.
Top-flight goal number 72 and senior career strike number 128 was all the sweeter for Ings, not just because it came five minutes into added time at Craven Cottage and secured his team a draw, but also because it yet again proved his quality and character in the opposition penalty area.
“It's a special goal for me,” he confirmed. “I've worked so hard for moments like this, so I'm just happy to come on and help the team. I got close [to equalising] against Aston Villa when I came on [on the opening weekend], so to see it in the back of the net today, I was buzzing.”
It was a lovely goal too, with captain Bowen collecting Vladimír Coufal’s quickly-taken throw-in and delivering the ball exactly where Ings wanted it.
“That’s Jazz doing what Jazz does, he gets to the byline and it was a perfect pass to me,” the striker continued. “It kind of made my decision easy to just take it back past the defender and slot it home. I was just buzzing!
“I was just trying to make something around the box and when I saw the ball coming towards me, I had nothing else in my mind but ‘I’ve got to get my shot off’ and I was lucky to see it go in the goal and celebrate with the fans.
“Last minute goals are special and that was a difficult game today. Fulham are a good team so to get a point, we can take a lot from today.”
Saturday’s dramatic comeback erased memories of last season’s 5-0 defeat at Craven Cottage, and Ings was keen to point out just how competitive the Premier League is now, with every opponent carrying multiple threats.
“It is a good result,” he confirmed. “With the way the game went and us being one-nil down with a few minutes left, for us to show the character to go and nick a goal and to nick a point, I think it's huge for us and for any team really, doing that.
“It’s the best league in the world and that’s the reason for it. The gap is minimal in the Premier League and you're in for a challenge every week, and different types of challenges as well with the different styles of play you come up against. As I said, Fulham are a very good team. They've got a lot of energy in their team, they put in a lot of crosses, they create a lot of chances, so for us to come here and get a point today, I think is a fantastic result.
“We can take a lot from today moving forward, but as a team, we're still learning new things under the coach and we're just trying to improve every day.”
Despite his career record and experience, Ings continues to work to improve his game every day – an approach which has not gone unnoticed by his teammates, who are always quick to praise the No18’s professionalism and enthusiasm for the game.
“I love football!” he smiled. “I’ve played for so long and my fundamentals don't change whether I'm playing or whether I'm not playing. The hard work never stops. Days like today make it worthwhile, for sure.
“As long as I'm contributing to the team. Whether I'm playing or whether I'm around the lads, not starting, etcetera, doesn't matter to me. I just want to be here for the boys.”
