Tuesday 6 October 2015 16:04, UK
Liverpool striker Danny Ings insists he is the same man he was at Dorchester Town as he prepares to make his senior England debut.
The 23-year-old, who was playing Conference South football in 2010 on a loan spell from Bournemouth, has been called up to the national squad by Roy Hodgson for the upcoming European Qualifiers against Estonia and Lithuania.
Ings - sharp-minded off the pitch and sharp-footed on it, with three goals in three starts for his new club - has played down his rise to the top and insists his level-headedness will not change.
"My biggest competition has always been myself; how I develop and how I learn," Ings said.
"That is how I have been at any level, whether it was semi-pro at Dorchester Town or at Liverpool. I set myself targets. The mentality doesn't change.
"I'm not one to look at the outside and take all that in. If you are in the spotlight, you have to get used to it. When you're doing well, a lot of people will recognise it, and when you're not doing well it's the same. It is about how you deal with it and control your mentality.
"I just come in every day and be the best I can be. If I was asked if I'd make such a progression since joining Liverpool, I would have said 'you never know'. I will always back myself to achieve what I can achieve. It is all down to me."
Ings' story is a yardstick for players in the lower divisions who may not be convinced that they can make it to the Premier League or senior England level through hard work and self-improvement.
But the former England U21 forward believes it is all about fine margins in a player's development.
"There have been different stepping stones along the way and it has been great," he said.
"Every time I get that next bit higher, I work that little bit harder to get to the next one. That has always been my mentality.
"This is another massive moment in my career but just another marginal gain. Things like this give me great confidence moving forward. It is something I am going to build on. I'll go there and enjoy it with top, top players."
