How Liam Delap has blossomed into ‘best young English striker’

LIAM Delap has been one of the standout signings in the Premier League this season.

Ipswich Town parted with £20million to bring the ex-Man City youngster, 21, to Suffolk.

But that money will be well spent if his goals keep Kieran McKenna's side in the top flight.

Delap has already scored six goals in 12 league games and was a handful for Ruben Amorim's Man Utd side last weekend.

The 6ft 1in striker, who was handed a Premier League debut by Pep Guardiola in 2020, was unsure about joining Ipswich this summer.

That was until minority owner Ed Sheeran got involved to get the transfer over the line.

And now Delap is being touted as Harry Kane's successor in the striker role for England.

BBC Sport pundit Danny Murphy said: “I've seen him quite a bit this season and I'd probably go as far as saying he's the obvious long-term successor to Kane for me.

“I think he is the best young English striker there is.

“I know he still has some learning to do and wisdom comes with experience and playing time in this league.

“But he has all the qualities to be a top international player.”

Pure brilliance

It's not often that one of the biggest pop stars in the world has a hand in getting a transfer deal over the line.

However, when it's Ipswich Town superfan Ed Sheeran, it becomes more understandable.

When he's not covering Sky Sports interviews with new Man Utd boss Amorim, the singer/songwriter is asking players to join the club in which he has shares.

In the summer, Sheeran had a Zoom call with Liam Delap and convinced him his future lay in East Anglia.

In a story told by the club's CEO Mark Ashton at a Soccerex event, we learned: “A local man, global superstar, football club sponsor, now shareholder and now officially part of our recruitment team.

“Over the summer we tried to persuade a certain player to join the football club but we quickly realized he was an Ed Sheeran fan.

“Ed did a Zoom call with him on the training ground and hopefully that was an important part of getting the player over the line.”

While Ashton remained coy about who the player was, he let the cat out of the bag when asked how the footballer was doing this season.

He replied: “Definitely score a few goals!”

It's in the genes

Football is in Delap's blood. His father Rory played for Stoke City and Delap Jr appeared on the set of Soccer AM with his father in 2014.

The former Stoke City and Republic of Ireland midfielder is best remembered for his insane long throw-ins.

As a youth player, that was something that Liam also had in his arsenal.

However, when one parent objected to the youngster's long throws, he refused to throw again.

“I think he got scared off when he was about under 10!” Delap Sr. revealed this in an interview with Radio Stoke.

“One of the parents yelled that he was ruining the game when he took a throw, and he hasn't taken one since.

“I don't think that will be part of his game.”

However, one thing he has inherited from his father's playing is aggression.

“(Aggression) has always been part of my game. I need it in my game,” he said in an interview with the Manchester Evening News.

“When I'm on that edge, that's when I'm at my best. It's just not tipping over that edge and everyone has told me they never want to take it out of me. It's just checking that final tipping point of what's acceptable and what's not.

“You can't really teach it, it's just something I have and I'm so grateful that I have it, but it's just a mechanism now that I can control it to keep myself on the field.

“I'm doing a lot better. I was a lot worse when I was younger, so I think it's just maturing and understanding what's right.”

Inspired by Ronaldo

Liam is a different type of player than his father, blessed with strength and speed, and is inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo.

“I've always looked up to Cristiano Ronaldo, just the way he plays, the pace and the power.

For me he is the best in the world, so if you want someone who is the best in the world, your dreams just have to be high.

“Listening to the people he has worked with, the extras and effort he puts in to take care of his body and get better every day, shows why he is at the highest level.

“You can have talent, but talent in itself doesn't work without effort.”