Despite only joining the Blues at the start of the month, the 22-year-old has already made an impact on the pitch. During our Club World Cup curtain-raiser, Delap, on a second-half substitute, fired in a pinpoint cross toward Enzo Fernandez, who converted to secure a 2-0 win over LAFC.

Off the pitch, the forward has found similar early success, embedding himself within the group with ease thanks to past connections. He also highlights the time spent with his new team-mates in America as key to him building chemistry within the squad early on.

‘When settling into any new place, it’s helpful to be with them 24/7 and help me get to know everyone,’ the striker opened, speaking in a hot and humid Philadelphia before our final group match against ES Tunis.

‘We have a good core of English boys here, and I’ve spent a lot of time with them. I know a few of them already.

‘Since I was 15, I’ve played with Cole [Palmer] at Manchester City, so I’ve got a good relationship with him. It’s nice to see a familiar face. It helps me settle in better.

‘I’ve also got a good relationship with the manager. I know how he plays and I’ve played in his system before. I know a lot of the players here.’

That familiarity has certainly given Delap a head start as he looks to make his mark early as a Blue. The forward has built a reputation for being physical and relentless in his pursuit of goals, qualities which he unapologetically sees as vital to his style of play.

‘I showed last year that I love those battles, and I always have since I was a kid,’ he explained. ‘I’ve always had that edge as a kid, and I’m not going to change the way my mindset is. You have to be aggressive, you have to be on the front foot at all times.

‘I love the aggressive side of it and the competitive nature of the sport. It has to be controlled, but it’s my game, and I really enjoy that side.

‘I might be a little more old school, but it’s how I've always played and I don’t want to change that.’

One battle Delap faces – like all of his Blues team-mates – is to earn a regular starting berth under Maresca. With plenty of quality in our ranks, the Englishman is excited to compete for a place.

‘With the size of the club, there’s always going to be competition, and I think players thrive off that,’ Delap continued. ‘You want to work that little bit harder. This is Chelsea, it is going to be competitive and that's something I relish.’

Delap has also selected an appropriate squad number for the position, having taken on the No.9 shirt.

He said: ‘Number nine has always been related to strikers, so it’s something I like. My idol growing up was Cristiano Ronaldo, and he was probably one of the best forwards or number nines. It’s a number that is related to strikers, so I chose it.’

With more minutes to come Stateside and a Premier League season on the horizon, Delap is determined to make this summer count.

He added: ‘It’s a really high-level tournament and it means we can prepare and work on things we want to use in the season to come.’

Chelsea's game against ES Tunis kicks off at 2am UK time on Wednesday. You can watch that and every other game at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 live for free by signing up with DAZN here.