A year ago, Danny Ings was a matchwinner in Australia - and the striker is hoping to go big Down Under again when West Ham United face Tottenham Hotspur in Perth on Tuesday evening.
After scoring Aston Villa's pre-season winner against Leeds United in Brisbane last summer, the England international joined West Ham in January and played his part as the Irons won the UEFA Europa Conference League and steered themselves to Premier League safety, scoring three times.
The 30-year-old says there is more to come from him and believes a full pre-season will have him fit and firing for the 2023/24 season. Ings kicked-off the summer schedule with the opening goal in a 4-1 victory at Boreham Wood before producing a lively 45-minute performance in the 6-2 win over Perth Glory in Western Australia on Saturday night.
West Ham return to the scene of that second success, Optus Stadium, on Tuesday evening, when they take on Premier League rivals Spurs in a mouthwatering derby with a difference.
“Pre-season is huge, especially for me, and I’ve always benefitted from having full pre-season with a new team,” Ings confirmed. “I’m really looking forward to it and hopefully we have a great season.
“I don’t think there is any such thing as a friendly, particularly with two London clubs and especially with the fans here as well, so hopefully we can put on a show.
“The lads have had fun and we’ve worked hard. We did well in the first game and hopefully we’ll do well in the second game before we head home.”
Unlike the vast majority of his teammates, Ings has played Down Under before, with his aforementioned 2022 matchwinner for Aston Villa coming after a summer 2015 trip to Brisbane and Adelaide with Liverpool.
The striker is a big fan of Australia and its wildlife, and enjoyed a visit to Caversham Wildlife Park in Perth on Monday, where he and four other Hammers met koalas, kangaroos and a wombat.
“It’s crazy!” he smiled. “It’s so different to back home. What they have over is mad, so it’s nice to be here to experience something new.
“I have done it before, a few years ago, but not for a long time, so it still feels quite new to be fair. It’s good for the lads as well like Flynn, as he’s not been here before, so it’s great.
“We’ve had lots of good experiences and the lads are having fun.”
