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During Danny Ings’ second agonising spell on the sidelines following knee surgery he set himself a challenge with the club’s rehab staff.

The Liverpool striker vowed to swim the equivalent of the English Channel in Melwood’s 20-metre pool.

Despite only being able to use his upper body, he clocked up the 21 miles by covering nearly 1,700 lengths over the course of four months.

Now he must feel like he’s gone some way to scaling Mount Everest. The summit remains in the distance but he’s made impressive progress as he bids to put two torrid years behind him.

There are winners and losers in every transfer window and Ings certainly belongs in the former category.

Rewind to early December and the 25-year-old looked destined to be sent out on loan. He had only played 17 minutes of first-team football this season and Liverpool had been inundated with requests about his availability.

(Image: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Having spent the first half of the campaign building up his fitness levels with Liverpool Under-23s, Ings founds himself below Roberto Firmino, Daniel Sturridge and Dominic Solanke in the pecking order. His prospects looked bleak.

However, rather than admit defeat and accept that his future lay elsewhere, the former Burnley frontman knuckled down and vowed to force his way into Jurgen Klopp’s plans.

The attitude and application which blew Klopp and his staff away during those gruelling rehabilitation programmes came to the fore once again. His sharpness returned on the training field and opportunities started coming his way.

When he stepped off the bench in the Merseyside derby against Everton it was the first time he had graced the Premier League since May 2016.

There was another late cameo at Bournemouth before recent substitute opportunities against Swansea and West Brom when he got the nod ahead of Solanke.

Klopp saw enough to conclude that Ings would be a better bet than Daniel Sturridge between now and May. As a result the manager sanctioned Sturridge’s loan move to West Brom.

It was a big call. Ings has yet to score a competitive goal during Klopp’s reign - his last strike for the Reds coming in the 1-1 draw at Goodison in October 2015.

But there’s no doubt that his energy and tenacity are exactly what Klopp looks for in a striker. It was that willingness to bust a gut for the cause which first endeared him to Kopites and helped him earn international recognition before his world came crashing down.

Ings is now the deputy to Firmino. How much he features over the coming months will hinge on the Brazilian’s fitness and how far Liverpool go in the Champions League.

Two-and-a-half years after sealing a dream move from Turf Moor to Anfield, Ings has made just five starts and 11 substitute appearances for the Reds.

(Image: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

He has had to dig deep and show real mental strength to battle back from two season-ending knee injuries. His dedication and resilience has commanded the respect of his team-mates.

“It’s been a long road,” Ings told the ECHO back in December. “But I’m past that and I’m in the shape of my life.”

All those sessions at Melwood over the summer when his team-mates were on holiday have paid off. He’s no longer on the outside looking in.

He has earned his place in Klopp’s plans. As the Reds look to nail down a top-four spot and make progress on the road to Kiev, he will get the chance to make a telling contribution.

This is what he has craved. Now he has to keep climbing and repay the faith shown in him.