BBC pundit Danny Murphy believes Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap has shown himself to be the ‘obvious long-term successor’ to England captain Harry Kane.

The former Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham and Charlton Athletic midfielder, who made 417 Premier League appearances in a career which included nine caps for England, made the bold assessment on Match of the Day 2 while analysing the Blues’ 1-1 home draw with Manchester United.

It came in the wake of another standout display from Delap, the son of Stoke City’s former long-throw specialist midfielder Rory, as the Manchester City graduate – signed in the summer for a reported £15 million fee that could rise to £20 million – terrorised United’s defensive line.

Only a couple of fine saves from Cameroon international André Onana, one in each half, prevented the England U21 international from adding to his six goals this season in what was his 12th Premier League appearance for Town.

Murphy said: “I've seen him quite a lot this season and I'd probably go as far to say that for me he's the obvious long-term successor to Kane.

“I think he's the best young English striker out there. I know he's got a bit to learn and wisdom comes with experience and game time in this league but he's got all the attributes to be a top international player.

“I just don't see a weakness for him. He's scored enough goals in a struggling side. He gets a lot of chances he'll score more. He's just got that lovely balance between physical and technical, rarely you get both; he's a super talent.”

Delap, 21, caught Town boss Kieran McKenna’s eye while playing out on loan in the Championship with Hull City last season where he scored eight goals in 32 matches.

He has netted two goals in 10 appearances for England U21s, having risen through the age group ranks from the U15s with the national side, though is yet to receive a first senior call-up.

Delap is also eligible for the Republic of Ireland for whom his father Rory gained 11 senior caps.

Bayern Munich striker Kane, 31, the Three Lions’ record goalscorer with 69 from 103 internationals, was controversially left out of England’s starting line-up in Lee Carsley’s penultimate fixture in his interim spell in charge, England's key Nations League clash against Greece.

Carsley said he went with Aston Villa frontman Ollie Watkins in a game where England were looking to bounce back from defeat to win their group and secure promotion in the Nations League to give someone else an opportunity to shine and grow.

“This team needs to try and create leaders and one way of doing that is giving them an opportunity,” he said.

Former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel is set to become head coach of the England men’s national team on January 1st and is expected to make some controversial calls regarding what he sees as the future of the make-up of the squad approaching the 2025 summer World Cup in North America.

The latest high praise for Delap comes after Ipswich chairman and CEO Mark Ashton revealed shirt sponsor and minority shareholder Ed Sheeran played a role in securing the former Manchester City forward’s signature in the summer.

Ashton said the club got the Framlingham-based pop superstar to have a word with a player in order to help get the move over the line.

“Local man, global superstar, sponsor of the football club, now a shareholder and now officially part of our recruitment team,” Ashton said at Soccerex Miami earlier this month.

“In the summer we were trying to persuade one particular player to join the football club and realised very quickly that he was an Ed Sheeran fan.

“Ed jumped on a Zoom call with him at the training ground, just before he stepped on stage with Taylor Swift. Hopefully, that was a key part in getting the player across the line.”

Ashton had hinted when pressed on the player’s identity: “He’s certainly scoring a few goals.”

Following a wrongly-assumed identity about the player that was put over at McKenna’s pre-match press conference ahead of the Manchester United game on Thursday, it was all but confirmed the player was Delap, as first revealed TWTD.

Fellow newly-promoted Premier League side Southampton were also understood to have been chasing the player whose journey into the professional game began back in the junior ranks at Derby County, one of his dad’s former clubs.

Photo: Matchday Images

Saxonblue74 added 12:47 - Nov 25 Not sure I like all this attention!!
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FreddySteady added 13:06 - Nov 25 Far too soon to say that!
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SheptonMalletBlue added 13:13 - Nov 25 "a struggling side"?
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Gforce added 13:15 - Nov 25 Will certainly double his value if and when the first England call comes along.
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Portman51 added 13:28 - Nov 25 It would be interesting to have some accurate information about the terms of his contract, and particularly the alleged buy-back clause.
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tractorboybig added 14:16 - Nov 25 UNFORTUNATELY he will be gone sooner than later
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Carberry added 14:17 - Nov 25 Yes, I read £20M Man City buy-back clause, surely that can't be right - a travesty if it is, he's worth £30M if not more right now.
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tractorboybig added 14:27 - Nov 25 carberry.....we signed the contract
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ThatMuhrenCross added 14:30 - Nov 25 He's a bit of composure away from being a top international level player.
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JewellintheTown added 15:40 - Nov 25 As far as I understand it, any buy back figures mentioned are trigger amounts, not sale amounts. If the figure is above that trigger amount, City get first refusal. So another club, say Chelsea, could come in with an offer of £200M & City would get first refusal at that £200M before Chelsea.
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johnwarksshorts added 16:16 - Nov 25 Saxonblue....Me neither, but it comes with the territory. We are on the world stage now.
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Linkboy13 added 16:54 - Nov 25 Ipswich fans opinions on Delap seem to be divided on the popularity of Delap and many ive spoken to would rather have Hirst in the team which i find amazing. Don't get me wrong Hirst is a good player but he's one tackle away from an injury. I don't think Ipswich fans are familiar with having a big physical striker up front. If it was a popularity contest i would probably pick Hirst but it's not it's on ability and that's how McKenna picks the team. I know the numpty heads on here will be upset by my comments and mark me down but i don't care because most of them have never played the game.

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Carberry added 17:09 - Nov 25 JewellintheTown, not sure that happened with Philogene did it?
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 17:26 - Nov 25 "A struggling side", Murphy? That's not how I see our team's positive progression!
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thevoiceofreason added 17:28 - Nov 25 I believe that is what happened with Philogene. We agreed a figure with Hull and Aston Villa could buy him for that fee. Not sure if we could have then increased our offer but the essential point is that a fee was agreed. Town would have to agree a fee with another club before City could use the buy-back clause and then City would buy for that fee minus whatever Town shelled out. I guess Delap would have to want to go back to City at that point. Depends if he wants to go back to the Championship, or not;-). What would Town accept £60 million?

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Kingfisher49 added 17:46 - Nov 25 Emmanuel Latte Lath did not do his chances of a move to the Premiership any harm after last Saturday's performance. If George Hirst is still out come January maybe ITFC ought to go for him with Ali Al Hamadi also going out on loan perhaps to Middlesbrough as he looked out of his depth on Sunday. If Lath comes to Ipswich it could be sound business and strengthen our attacking options

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armchaircritic59 added 17:53 - Nov 25 Well if Man City did get " relegated " to whatever division, would Erling Haaland stay around? I'd be absolutely stunned if he did. Who would be his natural successor? Someone already banging in the goals at Premier League level, terrorising opposition defences and getting plaudits everywhere, who also happens to be 3 years young than Mr Haaland. I think we would have one almighty and almost impossible job on our hands, and that's before any clauses!

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Bluearmy_81 added 22:49 - Nov 25 He’s worth more than 60m already imho
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bobble added 02:59 - Nov 26 He should play for ireland ,because Kane didnt....
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BeattiesBackPocket added 13:27 - Nov 27 Guys come on they don’t just get to say we want him back and for 30 million lol. If true regards a buy back deal it’ll be the same deal villa did with Philogene and happens a lot these days. They get first dibs but at OUR asking price same as Hull had. We bid for philiogene and as long as villa matched it or bettered it they got first dibs so same here but as I say at our asking price which right now could be way more than that come and of the season.

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