Delap completed a move from Ipswich Town earlier this month and has spent the past week getting to grips with life as a Blue, forging bonds with his new team-mates, and travelling to the United States with the squad ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup.

One relationship the striker hasn't needed to build, however, is with Maresca. The Italian coached Delap during the 2020/21 campaign at Manchester City, and enjoyed success together as the club's Elite Development Squad secured the Premier League 2 title for the first time.

'He knows exactly what we can give him, and I know what Liam can give us,' Maresca said at his pre-match press conference ahead of our Club World Cup opener against Los Angeles FC tonight.

'The season we were together, we won the Under-21 competition for the first time for Man City and he scored 24 goals. So it’s a win-win, and the conversation before he joined was an easy conversation. We like Liam, Liam likes us. So it was easy.’

Chelsea supporters experienced firsthand the trouble Delap can cause opposition defences; the 22-year-old netted against the Blues for Ipswich during the Premier League season.

It was before that fixture at Portman Road in December when Maresa suggested Delap could lead the England attack in the future – and the Chelsea head coach reiterated that belief out in Atlanta.

‘When we faced Ipswich, when Liam wasn’t a Chelsea player, I said that for me, he can potentially be England’s No.9. That was when he wasn’t even with us. For sure, now he is with us, I will say again I don’t have any doubt he can be a future England No.9.’

Delap could make his Chelsea debut this evening against LAFC. However, Maresca insisted any minutes would need to be earned rather than given.

‘I never say to a player they will be first choice,' the Blues head coach explained. 'The message is the same: you arrive, you work hard, you work more than, in this case, the other No.9s, and you can be the first choice. The conversation with Liam was quite clear; he was keen to join us because he knows how we play.

‘Liam knows quite well how important the No.9 is. Personally, I don’t see any problem about that; Liam is quite relaxed and easy. He has done well since he arrived and is working well. We know each other from years ago, so I know what he can give us, and he knows what we can give to him to help him improve to become a better player.

'Hopefully, in terms of the No.9, he can score goals for us.’

Chelsea's opening game against LAFC kicks off at 8pm UK time on Monday. You can watch that and every other game at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 live for free by signing up with DAZN here.