Liam Delap: Ipswich striker’s rise from goal-shy loan spells to England contention

Delap enjoyed more joy in 2023-24 in the second tier when he netted eight goals in 32 games for Hull City – twice his combined total for Stoke and Preston.

That was despite missing three and a half months – from January until April – with a knee injury.

In December, before that injury, Hull manager Liam Rosenior called him “a special, special talent”.

“He can play anywhere on the pitch, he’s that good. He’s naturally a number nine. He’s a number nine with a lot of technical and physical capabilities and speed,” Rosenior said.

“It’s scary, his potential and ability.”

Delap went back to Manchester City for rehab while he was injured, and BBC pundit Steph Houghton, who was the club’s Women’s Super League captain at the time, met him and was hugely impressed.

“The time I saw him closely was more of the rehab time. That’s when you see someone and think they have got the mentality and the drive to get somewhere. From what I saw, he definitely had that,” said Houghton.

“He had been smashing it at Hull, playing really well. He was devastated.

“Everyone at City knew that he had potential, just because of his physique. He was always a different striker to everyone else that’s been at City. He just had a presence and was always stronger than everyone.

“When he came back and did his rehab, from a physical point of view, Liam just turned into an absolute beast.

“He is having a great season now and I don’t think that’s a coincidence, from seeing him work day in, day out.”

By the time Delap returned to Hull there were only five games of the season left. He played in all of them, scoring once – in a 3-3 draw with Ipswich – as the club narrowly missed out on the play-offs.

Hull were interested in signing him permanently but the Premier League was calling.