Friday 31 January 2020 15:06, UK
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes Danny Ings is "on fire" at the moment and is delighted to see his former striker thrive at Southampton.
Ings has scored 16 goals in 27 games this season, form which has seen him linked with a call-up the England squad ahead of Euro 2020.
He has managed 24 goals for Southampton since joining from Liverpool in 2018, compared to just four over the course of his three injury-ravaged seasons at Anfield.
Ings returns to Merseyside to face the Premier League leaders on Saturday and Klopp says the striker will receive a warm welcome from everyone connected with Liverpool.
"Everybody in this building is so happy about the situation with Danny," said Klopp.
"Even if he is not anymore, he is still our boy, kind of. We all follow each step of his career, we are celebrating the goals he's scored but it will be different tomorrow, obviously.
"Apart from the games against us, we couldn't wish him better than we do. He's such a wonderful person.
"We had an intense time together here together, unfortunately he was not involved in enough game time.
"The decision he made going to Southampton was the perfect decision. He needed a little bit of time to get his rhythm back there but now he is on fire, like the whole team is on fire.
"The turnaround they've made is exceptional but for Danny, we couldn't be happier."
Klopp has also been impressed with the overall form of Southampton, who have risen to ninth in the Premier League after losing just one of their last nine games in all competitions.
The Saints are three points behind fifth-place Manchester United and Klopp believes manager Ralph Hasenhuttl deserves to receive more credit for the positive run of results.
"This turnaround is exceptional," said Klopp.
"I think I won the Manager of the Month award for the last two months or so but from my point of view it was Ralph, 100 per cent.
"What they did, from a low confidence level to come to this confidence level by organising the team, not changing the way you want to play.
"It was always clear how Ralph wants to play. It's an incredible job, it's not often you see something like that."
