Barnes wishes Ings the best for future!

Ashley Barnes has wished Danny Ings well in whatever his strike partner’s future holds.
Ashley Barnes is wishing his strike parter wellAshley Barnes is wishing his strike parter well
Ashley Barnes is wishing his strike parter well

The duo netted 16 times between them in the Premier League this term as the Clarets fell five points short of safety.

The England Under 21 international, who was crowned SkyBet Championship Player of the Year last term after scoring 26 times, signed off with two goals in three games, including the winner on the final day of the season against Aston Villa.

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Barnes, who suffered anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament damage in that same fixture at Villa Park following a challenge from Fabian Delph, said: “It’s massive. He deserves it. His work-rate again today showed how good he is.

“It’s fantastic. You don’t take it away from him. Every credit to him that he’s got into double figures in his first year in the Premier League, coming off the back of last season. Not many people would have said he’d do that.”

With Spurs and Liverpool believed to be fighting it out for Ings’s signature, Barnes added: “We believe in him as a group of players and the staff believe in him, so it will just boost that confidence that he always had.

“Whatever happens to him at the end of the year we’ll wish him well.

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“It’s been amazing to play alongside him. He can go all the way. He’s young and in his first year in the Premier League he’s got into double figures.

“I wish him well for whatever he chooses to do.”

Elsewhere, Tom Heaton lauded manager Sean Dyche in the aftermath of the club’s relegation from the top flight.

The Burnley boss has been backed in to the bookmakers’ favourite to become Dick Advocaat’s successor at the Stadium of Light with Sunderland with odds as short as 6/5 with some.

Heaton, who received his first call up to Roy Hodgson’s England squad for the friendly against the Rebublic of Ireland and the Euro 2016 qualifier against Slovenia, was Dyche’s first signing at Turf Moor.

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The Clarets stopper, who kept 10 clean sheets as an ever-present throughout the Premier League campaign, said: “He’s been fantastic to play for.

“There are clear messages and you can follow that. As players he makes it simple, you can get behind it.

“You can see in the performances, last season especially but even this season, without the expectation there people will say we’ve over-achieved this season and a lot of that’s down to him.”