Liam Delap will be “an important player for England”, according to Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who coached the striker in Manchester City's youth academy.
Maresca and Delap meet again at Portman Road on Monday as Chelsea travel to struggling Ipswich Town in the Premier League.
The 21-year-old son of former Stoke City player Rory Delap has scored six times in 17 top-flight games since leaving City for Ipswich in a deal worth up to £20million.
Chelsea will have to deal with Delap's busy pace and physicality when they face Kieran McKenna, and Maresca expects his former striker to star for the national team in the future.
Pace, power, skill, finishing.
Liam Delap's second of the afternoon. #IPSAVL pic.twitter.com/HFT3jWSBmO
— IPSWICH TOWN (@IpswichTown) September 29, 2024
“Liam is a fantastic player, and also for his age,” Maresca said. “I think we've been together for a year and he's scored [about] 22 to 24 goals. He is a very good striker.
“England have a lot of good players and a lot of good strikers [but] he works hard both on and off the ball, understands the game and can score goals. I think he can be an important player for England.”
Delap scored 35 goals in 36 games for City Under-21s, before spending time on loan at Championship sides Stoke City, Preston North End and Hull City, the latter where he impressed last season.
The former Man City striker has played in every age group for England, scoring twice in 10 games for the under-21s, but is yet to make his senior debut for the Three Lions.
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