Ashley Cole sends warning to fans over ‘great’ Chelsea player
Callum McAvoy
Esperance de Tunis v Chelsea FC: Group D - FIFA Club World Cup 2025
Liam Delap scored his first Chelsea goal at the Club World Cup (Photo: Getty)
Ashley Cole has praised ‘great lad’ Liam Delap but believes he may not hit the ground running at Chelsea.
Delap burst onto the scene last season by scoring 12 goals in his first full Premier League campaign but was unable to prevent Ipswich Town’s relegation.
His form made him a highly-sought after striker, with Chelsea beating the likes of Manchester United to sign him a £30million transfer.
He’s enjoyed a fine start to life with the Blues at the Club World Cup, assisting Enzo Fernandez on his debut before scoring his first goal for the team against ES Tunis in their final group game.
Enzo Maresca’s side will now take on Benfica in the round-of-16 on Saturday night in Charlotte.
Get personalised updates on Chelsea every day
Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.
Delap was due to lead the line for England at the U21 Euros this summer but pulled out to play at the Club World Cup, but the Young Lions have still reached the final where they’ll take on Germany on Saturday.
Through England, the 22-year-old has worked closely with Chelsea legend Cole who is assistant manager to Lee Carsley but while the former full-back highly-rates Delap he has warned fans to be patient with him.
England v Portugal - Men's U21 International
Ashley Cole has coached Delap for the past two years (Photo: Getty)
‘[I’ve been] working with Liam Delap on-and-off for about two years. At the start of the campaign, we had him in the squad and he was influential in qualifying,’ Cole told talkSPORT.
‘He is a great lad, he’s enthusiastic, he wants to learn. He wants to get to the next level and he’s got all the tools to do it.
‘I think in this day and age, we’re a little bit harsh on the younger players. They need time to grow and they don’t need to be judged. I think it will take time for him to develop.
England v Ukraine - UEFA European U21 Championship Qualifier
Delap chose to play at the Club World Cup with Chelsea rather than the U21 Euros with England (Photo: Getty)
‘It will take time for him to adapt to the way Chelsea want to play. Of course everyone wants these young players that go into new environments, new clubs to hit the ground running. But I think we have to be realistic.
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings