Chelsea supporters got a first look at Liam Delap in action for them earlier this week.
Chelsea kickstarted their Club World Cup tournament with a 2-0 victory against Los Angeles FC on Monday night, and Liam Delap made his Blues debut with an appearance off the bench.
Even though Delap played less than half an hour, he still managed to make his mark. The 22-year-old striker assisted Enzo Fernandez’s goal with a superb cross into the box, plus he put himself about and showed lots of energy.
American media hugely praised Delap after his lively cameo in the win against LAFC. It will be interesting to see if he gets his first Chelsea start in Friday night’s next group stage match versus Flamengo, or will Nicolas Jackson start again in the centre-forward position?
Simon Jordan suggests Liam Delap chose Chelsea because of guarantees he would play
TalkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan massively rates Delap and expects him to have a bright future at Stamford Bridge.
Delap had interest from up to 11 clubs in the summer before deciding to leave Ipswich Town and make the move to West London. Interestingly, Jordan suggests that Delap must have had secret assurances from Chelsea that he would start regularly.
When discussing Delap, Jordan told talkSPORT: “I think he’s a good player. I think if he’s put into the right framework, he will be a top player. I think he’s a footballer. I think he’s also a robust centre-forward. I think he’s got all the attributes to be a top player. Whether that environment is Chelsea, we will see. I think it possibly could be.
“It’s a pressure because they’re going to ask him to lead the line, I suspect. I suspect one of the reasons why he alighted upon Chelsea as much as he could do was that he was given certain undertakings.”
Delap has taken the No.9 shirt in Chelsea colours as he looks to become a key figure at a major club.
Gary Neville rates Delap’s move to Chelsea because he’s a fan of the player, but there’s no doubt it’s a step up in the youngster’s career. The pressure on his shoulders has ramped up immensely compared to last year at Ipswich.
Enzo Maresca insists Liam Delap will have to earn spot in Chelsea’s XI
Jackson, 23, has led the line as Chelsea’s first-choice striker for two consecutive seasons. There’s now a question mark around his position because of Delap’s arrival, though.
Blues head coach Enzo Maresca insists it’s not a guarantee that the new signing will come straight into the XI, and he opted to start Jackson in the Club World Cup opener against LAFC.
When discussing Delap, Maresca said via Chelsea’s official website: “I never say to a player they will be first choice. The message is the same: you arrive, you work hard, you work more than, in this case, the other No.9s, and you can be the first choice. The conversation with Liam was quite clear; he was keen to join us because he knows how we play.”
If Delap has been given assurances about his game time, they are certainly top secret. We expect to see the Englishman battle hard with Jackson for a starting role.
