Liam Delap is hungry for more after making his Chelsea debut as the Blues striker backed himself to "thrive" off competition with Nicolas Jackson.
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Delap joined the Blues for £30mMade an assist in the Blues' 2-0 win over LAFCReady to fight for his place with JacksonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Brought on shortly after the 60-minute mark to replace Jackson, Delap wasted little time in announcing himself as he provided an assist to Enzo Fernandez just minutes after stepping onto the pitch in a 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC in Chelsea's Club World Cup opener. With Jackson also contributing to the victory by setting up Pedro Neto’s goal, Chelsea now find themselves with a promising competition for the striker role.
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Delap sees the battle for the number nine spot not as a rivalry but as a challenge to improve.
"It is always good to have competition; this is football," he said. "It is an incredible club, and it is always going to be incredibly hard, but you have to thrive off the competition.
"It's a really happy feeling for me. I'm so excited to be here and to play my first game, and to be able to contribute is a good feeling. The team have welcomed me really well. I have only had a few sessions here, but I am excited for more."
When he was asked if the fans can expect to see more assists from him, Delap added: "Yes, of course, it is good to help the team, but I want to score some as well."
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One key factor that may ease Delap’s adaptation to life at Stamford Bridge is his existing relationship with Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca. The pair worked together at Manchester City during Delap’s formative years in the academy, and that understanding is already proving useful.
“The good thing about Liam is that he knows the way we want to play, so the process is quite quick,” said Maresca. "Also we gave a chance to Dario Essugo, that is another player [we have], so it’s good for both of them.
DID YOU KNOW?
Jackson had been inconsistent in front of the goal, managing only 10 Premier League goals in the 2024–25 campaign. Delap, on the other hand, found the net 12 times in a struggling Ipswich side that ultimately suffered relegation.