The sky’s the limit for Chelsea’s Liam Delap according to one of the men who’s helped him get to the top.
The 22-year-old former Ipswich striker had numerous suitors due to his £30million release clause, but chose Stamford Bridge and has had a strong start.
Delap has a goal and assist at the Club World Cup, and is looking to continue on from his fine debut Premier League where he scored 12 goals in 37 games.
Ipswich’s stand out player as their only source of goals, expectations are already high for the striker – in fact so high he’s already being mooted as a Harry Kane replacement for England.
The Three Lions all-time top scorer isn’t getting any younger at 31, and neither are the men who have tried to back him up, Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney.
Delap is yet to be called up for the senior side, but England under-21 assistant manager Ashley Cole has told talkSPORT that it’s only a matter of time.
Asked if he thinks Delap has the chance of making the 2026 World Cup squad, he replied: “I think they all have, I really do.
“Working with Liam on and off for about two years, at the start of the campaign we had him in the squad and he was influential in qualifying us.
“He’s a great lad, he’s enthusiastic, he wants to learn, he wants to get to the next level and he’s got all the tools to do it.”
Cole then offered some words of caution on Delap at his old club Chelsea where many strikers have tried and failed.
“In this day and age we’re a little bit harsh on the younger players,” he said.
“I think they need time to grow and don’t need to be judged so it will take time for him to develop and adapt to the way Chelsea want to play.
Watkins and Toney haven’t set the world alight trying to replace KaneGetty Many think Delap could be the long term solutionGetty“Everyone wants these young players that go into new clubs to hit the ground running but I think we have to be realistic. The price tags also affect peoples’ perceptions but we have to understand that he’s still young.
“I think we have to hold back sometimes and understand that they are still kids.”
Adding his thoughts on Delap, former England striker Gabby Agbonlahor said: “He’s not here to be a bit-part player. He’s at Chelsea to be a number one striker and I really think he will.
“If I’m him, I’m saying to myself, ‘what’s my target? World Cup, that’s my target next summer.’”
Cole is without Delap in Slovakia where he’s guided England’s U21s to the European Championships final alongside Lee Carsley.
The young Lions are reigning champions and the tournament, and Cole explained why they’ve so far been able to follow up despite losing players like Delap to the Club World Cup.
Delap had an impressive campaign for goal-shy IpswichHe said: “Going into the tournament we understood that there might be some restraints with players’ availability, going to the Club World Cup, we understood that and it is what it is.
“We still had belief other players could come in and perform at the highest level and that’s the job we’re in.
“It was then about giving the players belief that whoever came in was good enough to perform.
“They’ve been given an amazing platform and the way Slovakia have hosted it has been amazing, the stadiums have been full and it’s really given the players an opportunity to shine and show their qualities.”
England now face Germany in the final on Saturday at 8pm.
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