VILLA boss Dean Smith described as a “role model” striker Danny Ings after the Birmingham side announced they had signed the striker in a shock move.

The England forward abruptly ended his time at Saints, having penned a three-year deal at Villa Park.

On the announcement of Ings’s move, head coach Smith told the club website: “Danny is an outstanding Premier League footballer who has scored goals wherever he has played.

"He is also a top professional with a great character who will be a leader in our squad and a role model for our rapidly developing young academy players who are now in and around the first team.

“I am delighted to welcome Danny to our great club.”

Ings’s future had been up in the air at Saints for some time, with just one year left on his deal with the south coast side.

And Villa swooped with a £30million move understood by the Daily Echo for the former Liverpool man.

Ings has played 100 times for Saints, having initially signed on loan from Liverpool in 2018 and then made the move permanent.

The deal comes with Aston Villa reportedly set to sell star man Jack Grealish to Manchester City for a reported £100million.