Having watched Liam Delap in the Championship I was of the belief the second tier was his level. Loan spells at Stoke, Preston and Hull showed he was a goal scorer, but not prolific enough to suggest the England Under-21 international could, in the short term, transition to the Premier League.
Not for the first time in my career I am having to revisit my opinion on a player.
Delap’s early development came at Derby County’s academy, before switching to Manchester City aged 16. A year later he scored on his debut for the senior team in their Carabao Cup third round win over Bournemouth. Prior to the arrival of Erling Haaland Pep Guardiola described Delap as “the type of striker we don’t have, a killer, a typical British striker. He has special qualities. An incredible finisher. The only problem we’ve had is injury after injury after injury”.
A succession of ankle problems at Manchester City, and most recently a knee injury picked up whilst playing for Hull in January, would have been noted in scouting reports. Kieran McKenna appears to have always seen the bigger picture. When asked about his main striker’s potential following the 2-2 draw with Aston Villa, he told Sky Sports: “I think there’s loads to come. I still don’t think fitness-wise he is anywhere near the level he can get to after a big injury at the end of last season. The impact he has had and all-round play, and to have so much growth left in him, we are really happy to have him here.”
When stood in front of me in the interview area afterwards, the youngster with his near middleweight boxer-esque physique, admitted he is full of confidence and excited by what the future could have in store. “It’s my first season in this league,” he said. “I’m still young. I’m learning every game. Hopefully I’ll get better and better.”
Ipswich agreed a club record £20m deal to secure Delap’s services, which speaks to the faith they have in him becoming an excellent long-term investment. It’s still early days, but so far, there’s no doubt Delap is forcing sceptics, like myself, to force down a generous helping of humble pie.
