From Championship to England contention – the rise of ‘fearless’ Delap

Two years ago, Liam Delap had four goals in his entire Championship campaign.

His Ipswich Premier League form has led to the suggestion that he might soon break into England.

Since moving from Manchester City for a sum of money in the summer, the 21-year-old has scored eight league goals this year. He takes on his former team on Sunday.

According to BBC Sport pundit Chris Sutton, “He has a little bit of everything in his game.”

He is physically strong, and he also has a fantastic touch. The best thing about him, though, is that he is pretty fearless.

You must possess all the qualities of a number nine for whatever your team requires if you play that role. He has a really good game balance, and you have to be able to run in behind and hold it up.

Delap, an England youth international, attended Derby County’s academy before joining City at the age of 16.

He would go on to score 35 goals in 36 games for City’s under-21 team, including three in four in the EFL Trophy against senior lower-league teams.

On his debut against Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup, he scored on his debut for City’s first team, scoring twice in the Premier League, and six times for the City first team.

So, some Championship loan experience was the next best thing to do.

Delap joined Stoke City on a season-long loan in August 2022, linking up with his father Rory, who was a first-team coach there.

However, he only managed three goals in 23 games and left the organization in January, when Rory left his coaching position.

” It’s his first loan. I’m pretty sure that he’ll go on and he’ll become a really good player, “said then Stoke manager Alex Neil.

Almost immediately Delap joined Preston on loan until the end of the season, but scored only once in 15 appearances, with six starts.

Delap scored eight goals in 32 games for Hull City, twice the total for Stoke and Preston, in a second-tier performance in 2023-24.

That was despite a knee injury that prevented me from missing three and a half months between January and April.

In December, before that injury, Hull manager Liam Rosenior called him” a special, special talent”.

” He can play anywhere on the pitch, he’s that good. He’s naturally a number nine. He possesses a lot of technical and physical prowess and speed, according to Rosenior.

” It’s scary, his potential and ability. “

Delap went back to Manchester City for rehab while he was injured, and BBC pundit Steph Houghton, who was the club’s Women’s Super League captain at the time, met him and was hugely impressed.

More of the rehab time came when I saw him closely. When you see someone and believe they have the will and motivation to travel. From what I saw, he definitely had that, “said Houghton.

” He had been smashing it at Hull, playing really well. He was devastated.

“Everyone at City knew that he had potential, just because of his physique. He was a distinct striker from the rest of City’s strikers. He simply had a presence and was always superior to everyone else.

From a physical standpoint, when he returned and completed his rehab, Liam simply transformed into a beast.

“He is having a great season now and I don’t think that’s a coincidence, from seeing him work day in, day out”.

Only five games of the season were left by the time Delap left for Hull. He played in all of them, scoring once – in a 3-3 draw with Ipswich – as the club narrowly missed out on the play-offs.

Manchester City were willing to sell Delap – and in the summer he chose to join Ipswich, instead of Southampton, for an initial £15m with £5m in potential add-ons.

“Things go quickly in football”, Delap told BBC Football Focus in December. “I spoke to (manager) Kieran McKenna and that put my head straight. I desired to play.

” I didn’t want to go somewhere I didn’t feel I’d play and develop. I believed that this program gave me the best chance to develop and improve. You have a gut feeling and have to trust your judgement. “

Delap has a strong start to the season, establishing himself as a player with a name in the air.

For instance, his eight league goals in 20 games this season surpasse any other Arsenal player’s total, for instance. This season, Erling Haaland is the only City player to score more goals.

” Another thing I really like about him is that he is aggressive, “said ex-Norwich striker Sutton”. He hurls defensemen away from the path. He can link up, he can finish, and he can back in.

Ipswich acted in a really smart way by signing him because they saw something in him that others might not.

” He is still so young too. This is his first Premier League season and he turns 22 at the beginning of February.

Look at some of the other number nines, who have great seasons, like Chris Wood at Nottingham Forest or Alexander Isak, for whom you have much more experience.

Ipswich need someone like that, Houghton added, “If you can find someone who can be as strong and powerful as he is, who can hold the ball up and give your team a break.”

You can tell that he just oozes confidence now that the goals have been set, which they certainly have.

He consistently finds himself in positions to score, even when he is unlucky, as he did recently against Manchester United with a few efforts.

He has a good sense of the game and the right position, and he can head a ball as well, no matter what kind of chance there is.

Thomas Tuchel, who names his first team in March, will undoubtedly find Delap’s form interesting.

On BBC Match of the Day, former England international Alan Shearer said, “We’re not blessed with English strikers, and Thomas Tuchel will have a good look at him.

Although Rory was a Republic of Ireland international, Liam has been in contact with the Irish setup, he will likely not face a problem because he chose to play for England at the youth level.

” When I set out I always wanted to play in the Premier League and represent my country, “said Delap, who was born in Winchester.

” It’s an honour to play for your country. I just let the football do the talking. If it comes, it comes, and if it doesn’t I just keep working. “

There hasn’t been any suggestion that City will use their buy-back option or sell-on clause for Delap, despite the fact that they are rumored to have both.

This season, he has attracted interest from Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham.

Delap seems unlikely to be bringing them down if Ipswich were to be relegated.

” He just keeps on impressing me, “said Sutton.

He is a big part of Ipswich’s strategy of staying up, and he is a big part of it, but their problem will be if they do, because there will be many suitors for him.