Why Danny Ings makes his teammates think 'wow!'
Few people were happier to see Danny Ings back in Liverpool's starting line-up than Georginio Wijnaldum.
After two-and-a-half years of setbacks, rehabilitation and hard graft, Ings finally began a senior game again on Saturday.
That he did so at Goodison Park, also the venue of his previous start for the Reds way back in October 2015, meant the forward had come full circle - the coincidental symmetry offering a measure of closure on the toughest period of his career.
The forward put in a customarily industrious display during his 89 minutes on the pitch as the Reds and Blues battled out a goalless draw.
And, for Wijnaldum, Ings’ inclusion was just reward for the impeccable work-rate and attitude he’s shown while patiently waiting to start for the first time under Jürgen Klopp.
“[He’s] a great spirit. I also sometimes say to him, ‘I don’t know how you do it’,” the Netherlands international told Premier League Productions, prior to the match against Everton.
“You see what type of injuries he had and some things he had to do and now he’s fit but he [hadn’t been] playing. That makes it even more hard. First his injuries, then he’s not playing but he’s still full of confidence [and] doing his best on the training pitch.
“There’s something there that I’m like, ‘wow’! If you’re in that sort of position and you still can perform like that and give your all, [it’s] unbelievable.
“A lot of players will think, ‘OK, it doesn’t work for me so I will not try anymore. I will not give 100 per cent’.
“But he’s still a positive person and what I see is that he gets better every day that he’s training. He’s a wonderful person.”