Enzo Maresca insists that Liam Delap can use his Chelsea platform to become the next No. 9 of England.
Delap, 22, was signed for £ 30 million from Ipswich in a movement that reunited him with Maresca, including a bundle of goals for the Academy of Manchester City.
The blues boss thinks he can do this again and that he is convinced that the striker can replace Harry Kane as the regular frontman of the Three Lions.
“When Liam was not a Chelsea player, I said he could potentially be the no. 9 of England for me,” said Maresca prior to the club world cup opener from his side versus Los Angeles FC.
“So he wasn't even with us, and now for sure, now that he is with us, I am going to say again that I have no doubt that he can be England no. 9 in the future.
'[But] I never tell a players that you will be a first choice. The message is always the same: you arrive, you work hard, you work more than the other no. 9 and you will not become a 9 first choice. So the conversation with Liam has been quite clear.
“He wanted to come to us because he knows how we play. The season we were together, we also won the competition for the first time for Manchester City. He scored that season 24, 25 goals. So he knows exactly what we can give him and I know what Liam can give us. So I think it's a win-win. We love Liam and Liam likes us, so it was an easy conversation. '
Delap scored 12 goals for Ipswich when they were banned last season to the championship, in which Chelsea won what a hectic race was to secure his signature.
Maresca added that Delap does not get stuck by talking about Chelsea's no 9 shirt with a curse, while he went on: 'Personally I see no problem about that.
“I see Liam quite relaxed, easy, he is doing well. He has been working well since he arrived. We know each other years ago, so I know what Liam can give us, he knows what we can give him to become a better player and to become a better player. And again in terms of No. 9, he can hopefully score goals for us. '