Former Southampton striker Kevin Keegan has backed Danny Ings to succeed at St. Mary's.

Ings, on loan from Liverpool, managed to bag eight goals for Saints despite dealing injuries for the majority of the season.

And Keegan thinks the 26-year-old can star at the south coast club if he gets a solid run of fitness.

Speaking to the Daily Echo, Keegan said: "He has never really had a good run at it and that's the problem.

"When you play and pick up injuries, you never quite get up to match speed.

"He is obviously a very talented player to score goals at that level because he has done it before at Liverpool.

"He needs a bit of luck now and a run.

"I was lucky because I didn't get many injuries. One of my worst injuries was when I was here and did my hamstring which isn't a bad injury, but it knocked me back for six weeks.

"He has had injuries that have knocked him back for five months which is half a year and almost the entire season.

"When you have been out for three or four months, and you go back in the team, you are playing against guys who have been playing every week without any interruptions in their training.

"You are coming back in and you know you haven't done it in a while and that you may not be 100 per cent match fit."