Listen up, you muppets! Gabby Agbonlahor reckons Liam Delap should be eyeing up a spot in the England squad for next summer's World Cup. The Three Lions are on track to qualify for the tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the USA, having won all three of their qualifiers so far.
Delap's impressive form
The 22-year-old striker has been on fire lately, scoring 12 goals in 37 Premier League appearances despite Ipswich's relegation. His performances earned him a £30 million move to Chelsea, where he's already making waves. Delap's strike against ES Tunis at the Club World Cup means he now has a goal and an assist in just 149 minutes of action for the Blues.
Agbonlahor's high praise
Agbonlahor, who was impressed by Delap's latest performance, believes the young striker has what it takes to make it into Tuchel's World Cup squad. "He's not here to be a bit-part player. He's at Chelsea to be a number one striker and I really think he will," said Agbonlahor. "If I'm him, I'm saying to myself, 'what's my target? World Cup, that's my target next summer.'"
Delap's international experience
Despite not having made an appearance for the England senior squad, Delap did train with them during the March international break. He also has three goals in 12 caps for the Three Lions at the under-21 level. Tuchel named Ivan Toney as his second striker behind Harry Kane for the matches against Andorra and Senegal at the end of the campaign, but the race to join Kane on the plane is still up for grabs.
Club World Cup progress
Chelsea has reached the knockout stage of the Club World Cup after their victory over ES Tunis. They will face Benfica in the last 16, with the winners meeting either Palmeiras or Botafogo in the quarter-finals next week. Delap, who is eager to prove himself, said, "It's an incredible feeling. I came here to get goals, so to get the first one over and done with is a great feeling."
So, there you have it, lads. Delap is a rising star in the beautiful game, and if he keeps up his impressive form, we might just see him representing England at the World Cup next summer. But let's not get ahead of ourselves – he's still got a lot to prove. One thing's for sure, though – this kid's got talent, and we'll be keeping a close eye on his progress.
