As long as football has existed there has been an obsession with strikers. They're the names on the backs of shirts, postered on bedroom walls, shouted at the park and celebrated in the stands.
They require no translation, explanation or justification. There's a reason why all but eight Ballon d'Or winners have been attackers. Goals are one of the few objective aspects of a game so often ruled by passion and personal bias.
No matter how limited someone's knowledge of the game is, scoring is engrained in our minds as the benchmark of a good player.
Others on the pitch will rightly gain their plaudits from those in the know but strip football back to its most primitive elements and only one metric remains. As fans we have a predisposition to be drawn to these players and that's why Liam Delap has drawn so much praise from supporters of Hull City.
The son of ex-pro Rory Delap, Liam was making headlines well before his professional career began. A golden boot representing England under-16s at the Mercedes Benz Agean Tournament put him in the spotlight well beyond just his namesake.
Whilst his father is possibly the only outfielder known more for having the ball in his hands than at his feet, the blistering pace and clinical finishing possessed by Liam offered a different kind of player compared to the long thrown-ins synonymous with Rory's playing days.
Liam's had spent the majoirty of his youth career at Derby County, where his father had been a coach. In July 2019, a mix of the youngster's clear talent and The Rams' financial uncertainty saw Delap leave Derbyshire and join Manchester City's Elite Development Squad.
Signing his first professional contract for Man City a year later, it would only take a couple of months before Delap was making his debut in sky blue and scoring his first goal for the club. A strike into the top corner of the net gave the then 17-year-old a debut goal in a 2-1 victory over Bournemouth in the third round of the Carabao Cup.
Limited to just cameos for the remainder of the season, the Englishman continued to impress at youth level. 24 goals in 20 games saw him win the PL2 player of the season and even draw comparisons to a certain Erling Haaland who was making waves in Germany at the time.
The following year saw Delap make a number of senior appearances towards the end of high scoring wins for Man City. The most significant of these was a short spell on the pitch during a 5-0 victory over Sporting CP in the Champions League. By the time he blew out the candles on his nineteenth birthday, Liam Delap had experienced every facet of English football and looked to be a one of the country's most promising talents.
Summer 2022 saw the aforementioned Haaland, who had now exploded to a stratospheric level of goalscorer, join Man City and a decision made regarding the future of Liam Delap. With the Norwegian moving to the Manchester, there was no chance that Delap would get a sniff at first team action and with the youngster at a pivotal point in his career, a loan move was the most sensible outcome for all parties.
Liam Delap celebrates scoring for Man City (The Times)
A False Start
With Delap not yet boasting the pedigree to remain within the Premier League, a loan move to the EFL was the best option for the youngster. With England stalwarts Jordan Pickford, Kieran Trippier, Harry Kane and Jack Grealish all previously dropping down to the Football League to further their development, a talent like Delap making this decision was anything but a sign that his career was slowing down.
Naturally, a return to Stoke proved the most attractive for Delap with father Rory now a coach and Alex Neil in talks to join The Potters from Championship rivals Sunderland. Neil was a manager renowned for his ability to work with young players and had shaped the careers of some of the most promising talents in the country.
The biggest stumbling block for young players out on loan is often moving away from home for the first time. Finding yourself in a new city, far from any family or friends is hard enough for anyone but add the expectation to immediately hit the ground running and you instantly see why many struggle when away from their parent clubs.
Delap had negated these pitfalls by choosing Stoke as his destination. With his dad close by and a manager who seemingly understood the issues a young player faces, all the ingredients were there for Liam to thrive at the Bet365 Stadium.
After a slow start yielded just one goal in 1000 minutes of action, things started to look up for Delap with two goals in as many games towards the end of 2022. After an intuitive first time finish brought Stoke level against Bristol City Alex Neil made a point of highlighting just how far Delap had come since the start of the season.
"I don't think you can say [Delap] was lucky because, if you look at the goal against Bristol City, it was anticipation".
"I think what he might have done a month ago was take a touch... I think we have to give him credit for his anticipation and getting on the ball and guiding it towards goal."
For a manager like Neil, it was less about the goals and more about development. Wrapped in cotton wool in youth football, young strikers are given a big shock when met with the heavy handed defensive stylings of the Football League.
Raised on the possession obsessed philosophy of Pep Guardiola, Delap's transition to a box operating first time finisher showed that he had taken his early season struggles on the chin and morphed into a striker fit for the second tier.
Delap's time at Stoke had no doubt been made easier by the presence of his father in the club. Ever present amongst the backroom staff since returning in 2018, Rory had outlasted four different managers, making him an influential figure in day-to-day proceedings.
Neil's goal of transforming the culture at the club meant that the departure of Rory Delap was inevitable. Leaving his coaching role in January 2023 and bringing up uncertainty over Liam's future.
Alex Neil rationalised this change, telling reporters:
"What we want to do is try to develop the club on and off the pitch. What happens is that sometimes there are some really difficult decisions to be made and as a consequence of one decision, another decision follows if you like."
A week after Rory cleared his desk, Liam followed. Recalled by Man City and immediately sent to Preston North End, Liam's time at Stoke had ended abruptly and from the safety net of familiar territory and family ties, he was now in the wild west of the 'real EFL'.
If Stoke was the shallow end of the pool, Preston was the middle of the ocean. His name did not carry the weight it had before, his father had no involvement in his club and unlike his time in Staffordshire, he had big shoes to fill.
Delap came to Preston in a time of desperation at the club. Emil Riis, who had netted on 21 occasions last season had been sidelined with an ACL injury, leaving Delap as his replacement. With no time to adjust, no chance for development and most importantly, no room for error, it was truly a case of sink or swim for a player who despite their experience was still just a teenager.
As if the pressure wasn't already high enough, Delap now had direct competition in the form of Tom Cannon, a 20-year-old striker who had joined on loan from Everton just two days prior. A fellow talent at under-21's level, Preston had little interest in the development of both players with the six month loan spells more about quick results rather than a longterm investment.
Unfortunately for Delap, Cannon drew first blood, scoring in a 2-1 victory over Wigan and not looking back. What followed was eight goals in ten games for the Irish youth international whilst his English counterpart had to wait until the penultimate game of the season to get his first and only goal in a Preston shirt.
Reflecting on what had been a difficult period for the now 20-year-old, Delap conceded that:
"I think it's been difficult at times and it's been good at times, but it's been a great experience. As a young player, you need this sort of experience in your career".
"I think obviously compared to academy football, the strength, the physicality and the know-how of how the game is played is a lot better. It is only going to help me and improve my knowledge."
Taking the lessons from disappointment whether that's a game lost or a long goalless run is the true test for young players. Far too many concede defeat and return back to the warm blanket of youth football, never to realise their true potential. Delap showed his character after the Preston spell and set himself apart as a player not discouraged by failure but empowered by it.
Upon returning to Man City in the summer, Liam likely didn't even bother unpacking his bags as he knew his future was not in Manchester. To return to the development squad would see him squander the lessons learnt from the spells at Stoke and Preston and the only way to continue his development was to take failure in his stride and dive head first back into the Championship.
The next shirt Delap held up would likely define his career. The Stoke move was an obvious one and the Preston loan a rushed agreement; far more due diligence would have to be given as to where the 20-year-old ended up for the following season.
Liam Delap managed just one goal during his time at Preston (Manchester Evening News)
A Perfect Match
Liam Rosenior has made no secret of his admiration for Pep Guardiola. Speaking to The Guardian back in 2017, it was clear that Rosenior took inspiration from the Man City boss's effortless transition from player to coach.
"When I was five, six, seven-years-old I used to practise being [Guardiola]. He had a way of controlling the game from the middle of the pitch and he has taken that understanding of the game into his coaching."
"The way he had Barcelona play, with that style, was all about having a clear idea about football ... I have clear ideas about how I want to play the game, too. Over my career, I haven’t worked for too many managers who have had that clear a philosophy, a structure or way of doing things, a process."
“I’m talking about approach, philosophy, value, how you play, your identity, your system, the way you work, your routines, how you train players, even the culture of a club and how you want players to behave. The discipline around the place. It all stems from the manager."
For 99% of professional footballers, their playing career is the high they spend the rest of their lives chasing. However, for Rosenior it seemed an inconvenience; a necessary but frustrating barrier to his true desires.
Six years on from that interview, Rosenior has managed to carve out his own career in professional management and the Spaniard's fingerprints are all over his coaching style.
From the possession driven system to the emphasis on playing out of the back, Rosenior is taking the tactical handbook of one of Europe's top teams and trying to make it work in the EFL. It's an admirable cause that has seen his Hull City side flirt between visually pleasing football and borderline chaos as they become accustomed to the new style.
For all the anxiety and frustration it may cause in the stands, Rosenior's style has for the most part succeeded. Carrying a once relegation threatened side to the shores of safety, the 39-year-old has built a platform for The Tigers to make a genuine push for promotion.
With last season characterised by an injury crisis that particularly inflicted upon Hull's forward line, Rosenior returned from his summer holiday with signing attacking reinforcements at the top of his in-tray.
If you are Man City, where better to send your young player in need of a confidence boost than an EFL club led by a Pep-inspired coach in dire need of a reliable striker.
Almost inevitably, the second day of the transfer window saw Liam Delap set course for East Yorkshire, ready to start a new chapter at Hull City.
Liam Delap in training for Hull City (Hull Live)
Third Time's a Charm
For young players, it is more often than not a matter of time rather than ability. Few loan signings hit the ground running immediately and after taking nine and fourteen games to open his account on his respective loan spells last campaign, it was a frustration Liam Delap knew all too well.
Whether it was the lack of goals last season, the fact it came so early in the game or the quality of the goal itself but when Delap put Hull City 1-0 up on the opening day at Norwich, it became clear that The Tigers had a quality player on their hands.
A goal that perfectly encapsulated his entire skillset, Delap's finish saw him chase down a long ball, bulldoze his way through a panicked Norwich defence, hold off an opposing player with relative ease and fire home a strike into the the roof of a net. Despite ultimately watching their side lose, the Hull faithful appeared pretty unanimous in their praise of their new striker.
Whilst Delap had spent his early days at Stoke and Preston chasing the illusive first goal, he had managed to bury that ghost within 17 minutes of his Hull City career starting and looked finally settled into life in the Football League. From the timid teenager sheltered at Stoke and shattered at Preston, Liam Delap had matured into a striker ready to take the league by storm.
Delap's instant success came from Rosenior's ability to understand what he brought to the table. Standing at a stocky 6'1, it would be easy to group Delap in with the archetypal target men of the Football League. Instead, Rosenior looked beyond the aesthetic qualities of his new signing and saw a rare mix of pace and power combined with the kind of on the ball abilities only learned under the tutelage of a coach like Guardiola.
These qualities beyond the obvious came to the forefront during August's 1-1 draw with Bristol City. Bursting down the right wing and holding off multiple opposing defenders, Delap was able to deliver an inch perfect ball across the box to Ozan Tufan who slotted home with ease. It was this particular play that opened the eyes of Hull fans as to the talents of their new man. He was more than just a striker; he was an all-in-one attacking machine capable of producing in any area of the pitch.
The following week saw Delap once again on the scoresheet, netting the only goal in a shock win over league leaders Leicester City. Once again finding himself out on the right wing, Delap cut inside his man and delivered a curled effort into the corner of the net. In toppling the former Premier League and FA Cup winners, Liam Delap had attracted the attention of the wider footballing world, probably for the first time since his debut goal for Man City.
What followed was a six game dry spell for Delap. Life at the MKM Stadium had kicked off in such a whirlwind fashion that a quiet period in front of goal was inevitable. Whilst consistently drawing blanks is every striker's nightmare, Delap's attitude and performance levels did not falter during what was a tough period for him.
To some extent, misses define a striker's character as much as goals. The true mark of a world class player is the ability to never lose focus or desire, even when things aren't going your way. A few bad outings can see a player retire to a supporting role in their side; so scared of missing that they'll avoid shooting. It's this that sees one bad game turn into months or even years of mediocrity due to a complete demolition of a player's confidence.
Delap's self belief had clearly taken blows at Preston and Stoke but when things started to get tough at Hull he kept his head up and never once looked like slowing down. Down to a mixture of both the lesson's learnt from last season as well as the environment cultivated by Liam Rosenior, Delap looked a changed man and almost everyone at the club knew it would not be long before the goals came pouring in.
As expected, Liam took the rough with the smooth and followed up his dry spell with three goals in the next five games. The first, a goal in The Tiger's loss to Southampton epitomised the ruthlessness Delap possesses, capitalising on a weak clearance and making no mistake with his finish. The following game saw the Englishman once again take advantage of opposition errors when he latched on to a clumsy back pass to put Hull ahead in what ended up as a routine 2-0 win away to Birmingham City.
The third was to be Delap's most significant for a number of reasons. At face value, it was a 92nd minute winner against Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town. A well taken strike to put to bed a side who had sat back for the whole game with little intention of scoring. Whilst a scenario that will never not be satisfying, for Delap the goal had a far deeper meaning.
In just sixteen games with Hull City, Delap had eclipsed his entire tally for last season. He had managed to surpass in a little over 1000 minutes of action what he couldn't achieve in nearly double that last campaign. At this point last season, the then Stoke player had just one goal to his name and looked a shell of the once promising youth talent.
At the same moment he buried Huddersfield, he buried last season. The woes of the previous year were now firmly in the rearview as Delap looked like the player Stoke and Preston thought they were getting and the player Man City knew he could be.
Etching himself into the story of Hull City's rise under Rosenior, Liam Delap has won the hearts of an entire city in just a few months. But, as the old adage goes, you should never fall in love with a loan player...
Liam Delap celebrates scoring against Huddersfield Town (Hull Live)
What's Next?
Liam Delap will return to Manchester this summer with two years left on his current deal. After peforming well in East Yorkshire, carving out a career with the treble winners is far from a fantasy for Delap however, unseating the now record breaking Erling Haaland might be a step too far.
If Delap stays at the Etihad, he will find himself third in line for the throne. Haaland's current understudy, World Cup winner Julian Alvarez, would likely start for any other club across Europe's elite however, bides his time behind the Norweigan powerhouse. Both currently aged twenty three, Man City could easily utilise the same strikeforce for the next decade.
Turning 21 this February, Delap would have time on his side but after leading the line for The Tigers all season, may be reluctant to be consigned to cameos for his parent club. In truth, it comes down to what the player prefers; limited minutes for a side building up a mountain of trophies or the first name on the team sheet at a less illustrious outfit.
Ultimately, it is up for Delap to decide. There would be no ill-will amongst Hull fans if he decided to return and fight for minutes but at the same time, he would no doubt be welcomed back with open arms if he chose to come back to the MKM Stadium.
Whilst Delap returning to Hull may live in the realms of fantasy for some, Man City have a prescedent of letting promising young players leave for modest fees. Romeo Lavia joined Southampton from the champions in the summer of 2022 for just £12milllion whilst Jack Harrison made the switch to Leeds for a similar fee a few years prior.
With the strenght in depth Man City boast, it is often better for them to cash in on talents whilst allowing favourable buy back clauses to ensure that their investments are protected. Similar to the deal Hull agreed with Aston Villa for the transfer of Jaden Philogene, it is not outside of the realms of posibility for a similar negotiation to take place for his England Under-21's teammate.
Even if Delap's time with Hull City is just a season long fling, the quality the player has shown at such a young age has guaranteed that he will live fondly in the memories of almost all Hull fans.
Whether he goes on to carve out a place at a top side or even break into the national team, there will no doubt be a sense of pride attributied to his future success from fans in East Yorkshire.
Emotionally crushed by his first foray into the Football League, Liam Delap arrived at Hull and saw instant success. A key asset in the Tiger's fight for the playoffs, he has written himself onto the pages of what could be a fairytale season for Hull City.
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