Your Southampton player of the year: Danny Ings

We can all agree the year 2020 was a baffling one. It was a year where uncertainty and chaos made the simplicities in life rather complicated.

Not for Danny Ings.

While pandemonium and fear loomed in just about every one of the world’s four corners, Ings kept calm and simply carried on.

This wasn’t the new normal to him. Nor was it an ‘unprecedented’ period in his career. To him, this was just everyday life. Scoring goals and winning games. About as predictable as the sun rising each morning.

The Winchester born mercurial, sometimes balletic forward just kept on scoring. 17 for Southampton. Even one for England – a goal that provided a welcome injection of energy from watching Gareth Southgate play a team full of defenders during an otherwise tedious international slate.

Danny Ings is the all round package and plies his trade in the south of England. He runs, he tackles, he slides, he scores – have I mentioned that one? He also moonlights as an excellent celebratory performer with James Ward-Prowse for his goals, too.

For all the hyperbole I have and will use to describe this deep affection for King Ings, you simply cannot underestimate how vital the 28-year-old is to Southampton football club and its supporters. Since Ralph Hasenhuttl walked through those creaky, unyielding Staplewood doors in December 2018, Ings has been involved in 38 goals in the Premier League alone.

Just stopped at the traffic lights next to Danny Ings…

Our eyes only met for a short minute, but I recognise a king when I see one.#SaintsFC pic.twitter.com/QogmX0kfwT

— Jacob Tanswell (@J_Tanswell) December 7, 2020

On the pitch he is the first line of defence, setting traps and triggers for Southampton’s kamikaze pressing to ensue. He also has a penchant for drifting to the left flank during the last half hour of games, when opposition teams begin to tire and he feels compelled to smash a thunderous curler into the far corner (please see the year’s games against Norwich and Aston Villa).

Off the pitch, he offers hope for fans.

No matter how tough these times may be and how unfair things seem right now, seeing one of their own wear their badge with such honour provides a fleeting – albeit priceless – moment of hopeful, embracing warmth. He is the local lad done good, the hero that called in Saints’ most desperate hour.

How you voted:

In a poll carried out by this writer, 632 Southampton fans voted for their player of 2020. 51.6 percent of supporters (326) voted for Ings. Indestructible midfield machine James Ward-Prowse came a very commendable second with 26.3 percent of the votes (166).

77 of you proposed Jannik Vestergaard as your player of the year, while Kyle Walker-Peters came in the final fourth spot with 10.1 percent of the votes (63).

After narrowing down the votes, the final four contenders have now emerged.

?Your #SaintsFC’s player for 2020?

— Jacob Tanswell (@J_Tanswell) January 2, 2021

But Danny Ings takes the award as Southampton’s player of 2020. I could go on until the early hours presiding over just how good Danny Ings really is. But that waxing of lyrical and indeed how he is the best all-round striker in the league (yep, you read that correctly) can be saved for another day.

No one knows what the year 2021 will bring. It is true that no guarantees are on display. But if there were any bets to be had, the sight of Danny Ings wheeling off to the corner flag with Ward-Prowse in tow and proceeding to play a game of imaginary snooker would be right up there.

Honourable mentions:

Alex McCarthy, Ryan Bertrand, Jan Bednarek, Oriol Romeu, Stuart Armstrong, Che Adams.

 

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