Liam Delap has been tipped by many as a potential successor to Harry Kane with the England national team, but it was his Chelsea teammate who just received a comparison to the legendary striker.
On Monday night, Chelsea began the Club World Cup with a 2-0 win against Los Angeles FC, with goals coming from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez.
It was a special occasion for 22-year-old striker Liam Delap, making his Blues debut. He came off the bench during the second half and provided a great assist during a lively cameo.
Reece James is delighted Delap joined Chelsea, and the very early signs are that he will fit in well with Enzo Maresca’s side.
Scott Minto compares Nicolas Jackson to Harry Kane
It’s not uncommon to hear Delap compared to Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane. Hopefully, the youngster can follow in the footsteps of the 31-year-old goal machine.
However, Scott Minto claimed that the performance of Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson against LAFC actually reminded him of Kane.
Minto told talkSPORT (10:02pm, 16 June): “Nicolas Jackson, I thought he did really well. He made that fantastic assist. At times, he dropped off, almost [like] Harry Kane dropping off in that way. He also gives the danger in behind.”
Afterwards, Minto praised Delap’s eye-catching debut for Chelsea. He told talkSPORT: “Liam Delap, he only had 30 minutes, yet he was an absolute pain for the LA defence. In terms of pure impact, I thought it was a brilliant one for him. Chelsea fans will love watching him play in a Chelsea shirt.”
While the limelight is on Delap to see how he adapts at Chelsea after joining from Ipswich Town, Jackson is the player fighting to keep hold of his starting position as the No.9.
Even though many Chelsea supporters would like to see Jackson on the left wing, he started down the middle against LAFC. The 23-year-old forward impressed and assisted Neto’s opener with a stunning pass, too.
In his Chelsea career so far, Jackson has proven he can link play superbly well, something that Kane is renowned for. His main issue is scoring goals at a high volume, though.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca is “curious” to see Jackson’s response to Delap as the pair prepare to compete for one starting role.
Nicolas Jackson vs Liam Delap against LAFC
It’s a long, long way to go before either of Chelsea’s forwards get near Kane’s level. However, we’re excited about watching the duo lock horns and push each other.
In the Blues’ victory against LAFC in the Club World Cup, Jackson and Delap both showed glimpses of their individual quality in attack.
| Player | Minutes played | Goals | Assists | Total shots | Chances created | Accurate passes | Successful dribbles | Match rating |
| Nicolas Jackson | 64 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 13/14 (93%) | 2/4 (50%) | 8.1 |
| Liam Delap | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6/8 (75%) | 1/1 (100%) | 7.2 |
It would be great to see Maresca rotate between the two central strikers during this summer’s club competition. Ultimately, they’ll both be trying to outdo the other person to prove they should start next season as the club’s undisputed first-choice striker.
Jason Cundy views Delap as an upgrade on Jackson, but let’s wait and see how everything plays out.
