At the age of 25, celebrating his birthday today, Danny Ings has become a forgotten man.

Having been unfortunate enough to suffer an ACL injury during Jurgen Klopp’s first training session as Liverpool manager, after starting his Reds career with three goals in nine appearances and accordingly earning an England cap, the German’s tenure on Merseyside has inadvertently and unavoidably left him behind.

Ings has been seen just once in the Premier League since, whilst only his third appearance following that injury, an outing against Tottenham in last season’s EFL Cup, brought on another that he’s still recovering from. He wasn’t even included in Klopp’s squad for the pre-season tour of Hong Kong and that near-two-season absence has inevitably seen Klopp invest his hope and transfer budget in alternative forwards - most notably £34million acquisition Sadio Mane and this summer’s club-record signing Mohamed Salah.

Indeed, Ings has a long way to go to get back to his former status in the Liverpool squad as a promising rotation option and potential game-changer from the bench, let alone improve upon it to surpass the likes of Salah and Mane, not to mention Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho, for a regular berth in Liverpool’s forward line.

But the most frustrating aspect is that, theoretically, Ings is ideal for Klopp. He’s a forward rather than an out-and-out striker who has played as a No.10 and a winger throughout his career, perfectly suiting that nomadic front three Liverpool employ, and combines impressive technical quality with the industrious Klopp needs from his attackers to effectively high press.

Add in enough netting prowess to score eleven times for a Burnley outfit that were relegated after creating the third-fewest chances of any Premier League side during the 2014/15 season, and Ings can be a real asset for the Reds.

The problem, though, is what history tells us and in the Premier League it’s rare for a player to spend so long out but still enjoy success at the same club following his return. Jack Wilshere’s tribulations at Arsenal, which look set to result in his departure this summer, and Jay Rodriguez’s consequential exit to West Brom from Southampton instantly come to mind. Even Daniel Sturridge, rated by many as one of England’s biggest talents on paper, is still struggling to re-establish his place at Liverpool after a series of setbacks throughout 2015.

And thus, it feels as if Ings and Liverpool have both reached a crossroads this summer. He’s reportedly expected to feature in Liverpool’s pre-season in some capacity, but Ings will need more than simply a token outing in a friendly to get himself up to speed and his Reds career back on track.

It’s a question of whether Klopp rates him enough to give him a chance; if Ings can get somewhere near full fitness for the new season - although, of course, his recovery should certainly not be rushed - he could prove to be a fantastic secret weapon for the Reds next season, one that the rest of the Premier League has forgotten about. As Arsene Wenger would say, like a new signing.

But there is the other side to the coin; namely, Ings being an inspired swoop for another Premier League club. No doubt, that would come with risks for both potential suitors and Ings and it remains to be seen whether he’d actually pass a medical at this moment in time.

But those in the market for relatively young and English attacking talent this summer may struggle to find better value-for-money should the punt pay off. After all, Ings is versatile, hardworking, capped by England and knows where the goal is - and most crucially, Liverpool can’t really command a big transfer fee for the forward should interest come his way.

That being said, perhaps a loan is the best option for all parties at this moment in time; a chance for Ings to regain his fitness whilst Liverpool, the player himself and his adoptive club assess what should be the next step of his career and whether he still has a chance back at Anfield. Then again, if Liverpool endure a disappointing season and a loan spell sees Ings frequently find the net, eyebrows will be raised.

So, Liverpool fans, how would you handle Ings’ situation? Let us know by voting below…

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