BURNLEY stand a better chance of keeping top scorer Danny Ings as a Premier League club, says departing midfielder Brian Stock.

Speculation has already started as to whether the Clarets can keep a partnership with Sam Vokes that yielded almost 50 goals in their promotion season together next term.

Vokes penned a contract extension earlier in the season, taking him to the summer of 2017.

Burnley are hopeful of agreeing new terms with 26-goal Ings, who has a year left to run on his current deal, given that a number of Premier League clubs have scouted the England Under 21 international this season.

But Stock feels promotion will stand the Clarets in good stead of entering the top flight with their strikeforce intact.

“They have a 100 per cent better chance of keeping him with going up,” said the 32-year-old, who has been released from the club at the end of his two-year contract.

“Danny Ings is a Premier League player in my mind.

“I’ve played with a lot of top players throughout my career, Danny tops that list. If he wants it he has got the world at his feet. He hasn’t put a foot wrong all season.

“It’s going to be tough for a club to keep hold of a player like that, and either way the club’s going to benefit.

“But fingers crossed they will keep him, and I do think there’s a better chance now.”

The midfielder described the last nine months as “a great season success wise,” adding: “Although I’ve not been a major part in that success I feel like I’ve played my part along the way.

“The manager has done ever so well to make everyone feel involved and deserves all the plaudits he gets.”

But Stock admitted promotion was not an outcome he envisaged at the start of the season.

“With losing the goals of Charlie Austin there were question marks whether the big man (Sam Vokes) and Danny were going to score the goals.

“They are great players but they’d never really scored that many goals.

“They’ve blown me away and blown the country away with how they’ve done.

“They’re my boys from Southampton so I’m really close to both of them and it’s been great to share it with them.”

Stock was brought to Burnley by Eddie Howe, his former Bournemouth team-mate, for around ÂŁ100,000 in August 2012.

He added: “I fully appreciated that Eddie signed me, even though he left not long after.

“He built a good foundation with the players he signed so he’s got a part to play in the success as well.

“The new manager came in and built on that, and the biggest thing that changed was that he got everyone pushing in the right direction.

“I’ve played in many teams when players who aren’t playing want the team to lose to they can get back in the side. There wasn’t any of that.

“It’s been such a good collective this season and that's been a powerful force.”

Of his two years overall at Turf Moor, Stock said: “I’ve been through different emotions. There have been times I’ve been frustrated and there have been good times. I’ve not got a bad word to say about anyone at the club. I’ve loved every minute.”