MICHAEL Keane thinks Danny Ings is already as good as any of England’s current strikers – after outscoring all of Roy Hodgson’s World Cup stars this season.

Ings has put himself in contention for his first call-up to the England senior squad next month after scoring five goals in his last six league matches for Burnley, including a man of the match performance at Manchester United last week.

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The 22-year-old has scored a total of nine Premier League goals this season – more than any of the 23 players who represented England at last summer’s World Cup, including forwards Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck, Rickie Lambert and the injury-hit Daniel Sturridge.

Keane has played alongside Ings both for the Clarets and for the England under 21 team, and the defender thinks he is already on a par with the strikers who have lined up recently for the Three Lions.

“He's unbelievable at the minute,” Keane said.

“He's obviously a great goalscorer and his all-round play is unbelievable as well - his touch and the way he holds the ball up.

“You just look at how he played against United and you look at the strikers who are in the England squad, and Ingsy is definitely just as good as them - especially at the minute with the way he's playing and the way the team is playing around him.

“I think if he does get a call-up it won't be undeserved.”

Ings does face serious competition though from other rising stars for a place in the England squad to face Lithuania and Italy at the end of March.

Harry Kane and former Claret Charlie Austin both have 13 league goals this season, while Saido Berahino has 10.

It could present Hodgson with a real dilemma if all of his striking options are fit and available.

Ex-Burnley striker Jay Rodriguez will also be keen to force himself back into the frame later in the year when he is fit again following a lengthy lay-off after knee surgery.

An England call-up for Ings before his contract expires on June 30 could strengthen Burnley’s claims for a sizeable compensation package if the striker joins another Premier League club this summer, rather than moving to Spain with Real Sociedad.

But before then, Keane believes the striker also has a major part to play in helping the Clarets remain in the top flight.

“Hopefully he'll keep playing well for us and if we can keep him scoring goals then we'll have a good chance,” said the centre back.

“We need to keep getting the ball in to him and Barnesy, and Vokesy and whoever else comes on, and hopefully we will score enough goals.

“But at the minute our problem is not scoring goals, it's conceding silly goals and we need to cut that out too.”