Liam Delap’s Chelsea career may only be two months old, but the striker has already packed plenty into it.
The 22-year-old joined from Ipswich Town on the eve of the Club World Cup. He then came off the bench against LAFC to assist Enzo Fernandez on his debut, and opened his account for the Blues with a fine finish in the 3-0 win over ES Tunis.
By the end of the tournament, Delap had silverware in his hands after our emphatic victory against Paris Saint-Germain. Again, he made a real impact as a substitute, twice coming close to scoring in the second half. He had not taken long to show Chelsea fans what he was capable of.
Those inside Stamford Bridge witnessed his qualities first hand in our back-to-back successes in the VisitMalta Weekender.
The striker’s movement, physicality and finishing ability were all on display against Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan, and in the second of those games, an unerring penalty was followed by an instinctive first-time finish in front of the Matthew Harding Stand.
‘It was really good to score my first two goals at Stamford Bridge,’ smiled Delap afterwards. ‘As a striker when I’m on the pitch it’s what I’m thinking about, and to come off the pitch with goals in any game is a good feeling.
‘It’s been straight into it quick and fast, but it’s been an incredible two months,’ continued Delap of his start to life at Chelsea.
‘It’s a really easy group to come in to, all the boys have really helped me settle in. The Club World Cup really helped because we were together for such a long time. That meant I got to spend a lot of time with the boys. That really helped.
‘I’ve enjoyed it so much and I am really excited about what is to come.’
Despite the short turnaround between the start of pre-season and the two friendlies, the Blues quickly settled into our groove and combined intensity with artistry to deservedly beat Leverkusen and Milan.
Delap is confident we are in a good position to begin our Premier League campaign by picking up where we left off last season.
‘We did everything right and we can go into Crystal Palace looking forward to it,’ he said.
‘We’ve not had long off and had these two games to prepare, but I think we’re all ready and we’ve got the mindset that we’re going to start on Sunday and be consistent until the international break.
‘We have got to get everyone fresh. We’ve had two games in a couple of days, but this week will be focused on preparing and getting ready for the game on Sunday.
‘Stamford Bridge is a special stadium and to have the first game at home is a nice feeling,’ Delap added. ‘Hopefully, we can get three points.’
Delap has a good relationship with fellow new signing Joao Pedro and believes ‘competition is very healthy’ between them. It will only benefit the Blues as we target more silverware this season.
‘Everyone’s aim is to challenge, and the mindset among the boys and staff is to win every trophy we can,’ Delap stressed. ‘We know we’ve got the quality and mindset to do that. So that is the goal.
‘I’m so excited. I came here for one reason: to play in big games and compete for big trophies. We have got an incredible squad and everyone is determined and hungry to do their best.
‘I had a full season of playing in this league, and I learned a lot and how to deal with it. I have to try to bring everything here that I have learned and give my best. I’m just very happy to be here and ready to enjoy the season.’
Watching Delap in full flow is just one of many reasons why Blues fans are excited for what lies ahead. His busy beginning to life at the Bridge is set to continue.