Liam Delap is a bit of a throwback. Chelsea’s new No 9 runs the channels and relishes a physical contest. “I love those battles,” the striker says on a muggy afternoon in Philadelphia. “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.”
The strange thing is that English football has placed a heavy emphasis on producing nimble, technical players in recent years. England have a lot of No 10s but a shortage of No 9s. Who is coming through to take over from Harry Kane when the Bayern Munich striker finally calls time on his international career? Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney are 29 and Dominic Solanke is 27. A lot could be riding on Delap, who happily acknowledges there is something of the old school to his game, seizing the initiative after his £30m move to Chelsea.
