Delap remains in the Premier after move to Chelsea

IT seems like a show of faith and expectation from Chelsea that they are handing Liam Delap the number 9 shirt but it is a safe bet that he didn’t call up Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink before he said yes.

- Peter Smith

It is definitely a show of the place that Stoke City has in Delap Jr's heart that when he was asked to wear the Potters’ number 17 shirt when he joined on loan just under three years ago, he did first make a call for permission.

The striker sent a message to Stoke legend and family friend Ryan Shawcross, who had worn 17 for the best part of the previous 15 years, including all those games when a young Delap was in the stands or even mascot.

That was the summer of 2022 and Delap had his pick of clubs to join as he prepared for his first taste of senior football on loan away from Manchester City.

Stoke had to work furiously to get to the front of Man City’s queue but, if the decision was down to the player, it was a clear choice.