Liam Delap opens up on Chelsea’s No 9 curse and ‘old school’ battles

It says something that in our 25 minutes with Liam Delap on the 60th floor of Chelsea’s team hotel overlooking Philadelphia, not once do we bring up his old man, Rory.

Sure, we could have asked if he reckons his dad could reach the Rocky Steps from here, but there is no point. Delap is more than the long thrower’s son nowadays. The 22-year-old Englishman is his own person; Chelsea’s brand new No 9 signed from Ipswich Town for £30million less than three weeks ago.

Instead, we are talking how he is a throwback, an old-school striker who echoes Diego Costa in how he plays with an edge, a brute ready to battle as he reveals how he even played through the pain of broken ribs for the final stage of last season with Ipswich.

‘I did it the game before we played Chelsea,’ explains Delap, with that trip to Stamford Bridge falling on April 13, ending in a 2-2 draw. 

‘It was painful for a few weeks but I got over it. There is probably that narrative that nowadays there aren’t as many old-school strikers as there used to be. Maybe I am a little old school but it is the way I play and I don’t want to change it.

‘I love those battles. I always have since I was a kid. I really love the aggressive side of it and the competitive nature of the sport. It’s got to be controlled at times but it’s my game ultimately and I enjoy it. I’ve always had that same edge as a kid and I’m not going to change the way my mindset is. You’ve just got to make sure you’re on the right side of the edge.’

Mind you, Delap received 12 yellow cards last term for Ipswich, more than any other player in the Premier League. ‘It was obviously my first season playing in the Prem and playing with VAR,’ he counters. ‘It’s not something I’m worried about now. I can control my emotions when I need to.’

Nicolas Jackson did not control his when red carded within four minutes of replacing Delap versus Flamengo in Friday’s Club World Cup loss in Philadelphia. Though that means Delap will now get the chance to lead the line against ES Tunis in tonight’s clash, he feels for his team-mate.

‘You have to be aggressive, on the front foot all the time,’ he says. ‘I was right in front of it when it happened. It was so unlucky. He has obviously not meant to do it; these things happen in football.’

Here to compete with Jackson, Delap chose the No 9 shirt upon arriving and when asked on its curse associated with Chelsea, he says: ‘I’m not that type of person.

‘It doesn’t mean anything to me. At the end of the day it’s a number on the back of your shirt. It’s just a number. Wayne Rooney (wore it). My idol growing up was Cristiano Ronaldo. The number nine has always been related to strikers so it’s something I like, but there’s no pressure.’

Chelsea were not alone in the chasing of Delap with his bargain of a £30m release clause. They had Manchester United, Newcastle, Everton, Nottingham Forest and others for company.

‘It was a nice position to be in,’ Delap says. ‘You never know if it is going to be the right decision but you’ve just got to go with your gut. You’ve got to take your time. I still took a few days to decide and speak to people and decide my future. 

‘It (Chelsea qualifying for the Champions League) wasn’t the be-all and end-all because I was also looking towards future seasons. I’ve got a good relationship with the manager. I know how he plays. I’ve played in this system before. I know a lot of the players here and the project of the club, how they see the future. That’s what excited me.’

Delap played under Enzo Maresca at Manchester City, scoring 24 goals in a single season for their development side. Cole Palmer was among his team-mates at City, and he would not mind emulating his stratospheric rise to stardom. ‘Of course, that’s the goal,’ he says. ‘He’s gone and smashed it so hopefully I can also.’

Had Chelsea not nabbed Delap before the Club World Cup, he would have been at the Under-21 European Championship with England, and he watched their 3-1 win over Spain in the quarter-finals on Saturday. 

‘Obviously I had my sights set on the Euros all season and I was really looking forward to that,’ Delap admits. ‘But I signed here and they wanted me to be here. I want to be here as well. I need to get to know everyone.’

Next year’s World Cup in the United States under Thomas Tuchel could be a possibility, however, with Maresca saying he believes Delap can be England’s No 9 for the future.

‘Obviously it’s going to help being at a club like this,’ Delap says. ‘If I’m playing badly then I know I’m not going to be in (the World Cup squad) but if I’m playing well then it gives me a good chance. It’s been a goal of mine since I was six or seven years old to play for my country.’

When Delap signed for Ipswich from City for £20m, they got Ed Sheeran on FaceTime to seal the deal. Chelsea did not need to get Suggs, the lead singer of Madness, to land him this summer. They lured him in primarily on the basis that they believe he has the potential to be their old-school striker for the foreseeable.