Enzo Maresca believes Liam Delap has the potential to turn out to be England’s predominant striker, however warned the 22-year-old he faces a combat to get into the Chelsea line-up first.
Delap may make his Blues debut in opposition to LAFC in Monday’s FIFA Membership World Cup opener in Atlanta after completing a £30 million move from Ipswich Town earlier this month.
Chelsea beat out competitors from a variety of golf equipment together with Manchester United for Delap’s signature amid expectations the previous Manchester City academy participant may someday rival Harry Kane to steer the road for his nation.
Kane is England’s captain and all-time file goalscorer with 73 targets from 107 appearances, however Maresca informed reporters on Sunday: “Once we confronted Ipswich, earlier than we confronted Ipswich, so [when] Liam was not a Chelsea participant, I mentioned that for me, Liam, doubtlessly, he will be England’s quantity 9.
“So he was not even with us. And for certain now that he is with us, I’ll say once more that I haven’t got any doubt that he will be sooner or later England quantity 9.
“[But] I by no means say to a gamers you will be a primary selection. The message is all the time the identical: you arrive, you’re employed onerous, you’re employed greater than the opposite quantity 9 and you will be quantity 9 first-choice. So the dialog with Liam has been fairly clear.
“He was eager to hitch us as a result of he is aware of the way in which we play, the season that we had been collectively additionally we received for the primary time for Manchester Metropolis the under-23 competitors. He scored 24, 25 targets that season.
“So he is aware of precisely what we may give to him and I do know what Liam may give us. So I feel it is a win-win and the dialog was fairly a straightforward dialog. We like Liam, Liam like us, so it was a straightforward dialog.”
Chelsea handed Delap the membership’s No. 9 shirt, which many high-profile gamers have struggled with lately together with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Romelu Lukaku, Gonzalo Higuain, Álvaro Morata and Fernando Torres.
“Liam is aware of fairly effectively how essential is the quantity 9 for this membership,” continued Maresca, who coached Delap throughout his time at Metropolis. “Personally I do not see any downside about that. I see Liam fairly relaxed, simple, he is doing effectively. Since he arrived he is working effectively. We all know one another already from years in the past, so I do know what Liam may give us, he is aware of what we may give to him to enhance and to turn out to be a greater participant.
“And once more by way of quantity 9, hopefully he can rating targets for us.”
Midfielder Moisés Caicedo backed Delap to make a direct affect in the course of the match within the United States after impressing in coaching.
“We’re pleased to have him as a result of he’s a really prime participant,” mentioned Caicedo. “He confirmed [that] final season, so we’re pleased. He’s coaching rather well. You possibly can see the standard he has. For certain, we’re going to rating a variety of targets with this wonderful participant.”
