DORCHESTER Town boss Mark Jermyn believes Danny Ings’ loan spell at the non-league club may have been the turning point of the Burnley striker’s career.

Ings had a loan spell with Dorchester from AFC Bournemouth in 2010 and recently credited his time with the club as ‘the best thing that happened to me’.

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Jermyn played alongside Ings during that period and thinks the forward may have been in danger of failing to make the grade at Bournemouth before his successful spell at Dorchester.

Ings then went on to star with Bournemouth before earning his move to Burnley, rising to the Premier League and the brink of the England squad.

“What stood out for me when he was with us was his hunger,” said Jermyn, who is now Dorchester’s player-manager. “He really wanted to do well. It wasn’t just his ability on the ball that was good, it was his work-rate.

“His attitude when he came to us from Bournemouth was brilliant and I think that has got a lot to do with them as a club. I think Danny realised when he came to us that he was pretty much on the way out at Bournemouth.

“But Bournemouth had a couple of injuries when he went back, he got a chance, and things took off.”

Jermyn admits he could not have predicted Ings’ huge progress since his time at Dorchester, but says the club are proud to have played their part.

“Nobody deserves the success he is having more than him, but there’s no way I could have envisaged he would be where he is now,” he admitted.

“Hopefully he will get into the England squad and we can say that he used to wear a Dorchester shirt.”