Ex-Man City starlet dubbed 'special' by Pep Guardiola follows in Cole Palmer's footsteps

Former Manchester City forward Liam Delap has impressed in the Premier League.

The 21-year-old left Manchester City to play first-team football at newly promoted Ipswich Town this summer. Town came from behind, thanks to Delap's smart finish at Portman Road. The forward had put his side ahead inside 10 minutes earlier in proceedings. However, Villa fought back. Delap's brace took his tally to three from six appearances - adding to his goal against Fulham in August.

Despite only making six first-team appearances for City - scoring one goal in an EFL Cup tie against Bournemouth - City still made a tidy profit; they sold Delap for a reported fee of up to £20m including add-ons. Injury troubles did not help his career at the Etihad; a foot injury caused him to miss the 2021 FA Community Shield match against Leicester, despite being in Pep's plans.

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Although the obvious 'one that got away' comparison to Cole Palmer will be put to Guardiola, the City boss was aware of Delap's talent already. In February 2022, he praised the forward, when speaking to Man City.com, he said: "He is the type of striker we don’t have. He is a killer, a typical British striker, an incredible finisher. He has to improve when he drops, his first touch.

“The only problem we had this season from the beginning is he has been injured. He struggled a lot with his ankles and was not fit."

He added: "He has a special quality. He is a different type of striker. The goal is offside, but he is there. I am happy for him.

“He is 18-years-old. One of the precious values you have to be in that age is to be patient. If you fight in every training session, it will pay off in your career and you will get what you deserve."

However, the arrival of Erling Haaland in the summer of 2022, may have been a huge reason why Delap's first-team chances were limited. During the 2023-24 season, the England Under-21 international was loaned to Championship side Hull City - he impressed scoring eight goals in 31 league games, which no doubt helped secure his move to Ipswich.