CLARETS chief Sean Dyche believes smiling more could help Danny Ings end his longest goal drought of the season.

The 22-year-old has nine Premier League goals to his name so far this campaign, but has not scored in his last seven appearances.

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The England Under-21 star’s goal drought coincides with Burnley only managing to score once in their last six games, but Dyche backed Ings to return to his goalscoring best by playing with a smile on his face.

“His biggest thing is he puts a lot of demand on himself – and that can be a weakness as well as a strength,” said Dyche of his striker, “It’s good that he has thirst to improve, as do a lot of the players. But it has to be balanced with that enjoyment.

“I often say to him, play with a smile and I’ve told him he’s best when he does. We’re looking to him to continue doing that.

“Most goalscorers, when they’re really flying, they’re just doing it, they don’t always explain to you how they’re doing it, they’re just doing it.

“So it’s just getting them into that zone of thinking, and the more players you can have in that thinking, playing freely and expressing themselves, then the better chance you’ve got of doing really well.”

Ings’ last goal came in the defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford on an evening when he produced his finest performance of the season.

Since then he has struggled to find that form again, but with six games remaining Ings rediscovering his goalscoring touch could be crucial to Burnley’s chances of survival.

“Goalscoring isn’t an exact science,” said Dyche. “All I know is that there is an edge to goalscorers when they’re free flowing.

“You want them trying almost too hard but it can get you uptight, and when you get that tightness it sometimes affects performance.

“That’s why we have the freedom and the good positive environment because we want the players to have that relaxed focus.

“You’ve got to be focused but there’s got to be that relaxed moment where you belief in what you do and it free flows. That’s the hard thing as a coach and manager to get that kind of balance.”

This week Ings was linked with a move to Manchester United when his contract expires at the end of the season.

He has also been strongly linked with a switch to Liverpool and a move to Real Sociedad.

Dyche admitted it was impossible to know whether the speculation had affected his star man.

“He’s dealt with a lot,” said the Burnley boss.

“There was so much talk leading up to the January deadline, then when that shuts there was talk again about what is going to happen at the end of the season.

“I think he’s handed it very well. He’s delivered when he’s been with England Under-21s, he’s delivered when he’s been with us.

“Quite spells can happen at any level of football but particularly in the Premier League. We do forget that, he’s a young man learning amongst a team of players most of whom are learning as they go.

“It’s a great challenge for all of them and he is a part of that.”