Ings emotional after victorious 'last game'

Burnley striker Danny Ings confirmed his exit from Burnley when his contract expires in the close-season after scoring the winner in a 1-0 victory at Aston Villa.

Ings netted his 11th goal of 2014-15 with a looping first-half header, and that proved enough to clinch a first win at Villa Park since 1973 for Burnley.

"It was quite an emotional day for me," said Ings, who has been strongly linked with a transfer to Liverpool. 

"I think everybody knows what's been going on off the pitch and I wanted to finish my last game here in style.

"I'm just over the moon that I managed to get the winning goal in front of all the fans that travelled."

He added: "I can't praise the fans enough. There's an old saying that they're like your 12th man and it's definitely true."

Burnley manager Sean Dyche insisted his relegated team are on an upwards curve and praised the mentality of his players following the win on the final day of the Premier League season.

"We wanted to sign off well and that's about the feel, not just the result," said Dyche.

"Ten clean sheets in the Premier League and a goalkeeper [Tom Heaton] in the England set-up for starters, so there is a journey to be had and this club is in a whole better shape than it was two-and-a-half years ago. We reflect with pride and disappointment.

"The mentality is an important thing in any walk of like, but particularly in professional sport. We have built a culture and environment that suggests we give everything all of the time."

He added: "It becomes a mind-set and we've got it. If we just had those moments of clarity in certain occasions this season, we'd still be in the Premier League."

Villa boss Tim Sherwood admitted he was happy to accept his side's 17th-placed finish in the Premier League, after taking the job mid-way through the season with the club staring relegation in the face.

He told Aston Villa TV: "No one gave us a chance when I came in here. Everyone was talking about planning for the Championship but that was never on my mind.

"We managed to get enough points to get ourselves safe and we're delighted about that, but it's disappointing not to win the last couple of games."