Town boss Kieran McKenna has cited the importance of star striker Liam Delap signing in time to have pre-season with the Blues.

Delap is, at this point, the favourite for the Town Player of the Year award having netted nine Premier League goals in 21 starts and one sub appearance during his first season as a first-team player in the top flight having signed from Manchester City for £15 million in July in time for the first of two training camps in Austria.

The 21-year-old has been Town’s number nine in all but the away game at Brentford, in which George Hirst began the game and scored before Delap came off the bench and also found the net, but with the players behind him changing more frequently.

McKenna was asked whether that made the England U21 international’s job harder.

“I think that’s normal,” he reflected. “If you’re going to be a striker in the Premier League, you’re going to be a striker at a big club, you’re going to have to get used to playing with different types of players.

“His role has stayed pretty consistent in the team, the demands and the movements and the requirements from him in and out of possession have stayed pretty consistent from pre-season.

“He had pre-season with us, which I think is a big thing and a benefit he had over some of the other players who came in, he had that time in pre-season to work on things and gain that understanding.

“And he’s played consistently since the start of the season, so he’s adapting pretty well.”

Despite having made headlines and gossip columns throughout the season, McKenna says Delap remains just another member of the squad.

“I’ve said it before, he’s a good lad, he’s one of the boys really, he likes a laugh and a joke,” he said. “He’s popular, he’s funny and he’s a lively character.

“But to go with that, you need to have an attitude to work and want to get better and he’s shown that this year, and that’s been the more important thing.

“Everyone here has their own personalities and you want them all to bring their personalities every day, and he certainly does that.

“But they need to have a shared drive to come here and want to get better, to better themselves, better their own careers and in doing that, of course, better the club’s position. Liam’s fitted right into that.”

Photo: Reuters

flykickingbybgunn added 18:31 - Feb 13 I think he is good. But with effort and assistance he could be great. As I see it, it's largely down to him. It is going to be good watching how it unfolds.
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Gforce added 19:01 - Feb 13 If we are forced to sell him in the summer, it's got to be 70 million minimum. He could well be England's number 9 for the next 10 years.
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