Glasner Hopes Liam Delap Can Fill Harry Kane’s England Boots

By the Editorial Team · Saturday, August 29, 2026

Nottingham Forest signed Liam Delap from Chelsea for a club-record £50 million, with manager Oliver Glasner confident Delap can develop into a key striker for both the club and England’s future. Despite a difficult season at Chelsea, Delap’s move aims to reignite his form and address the national team's need to replace aging forwards like Harry Kane.

Oliver Glasner has expressed confidence that Liam Delap can eventually fill the void left by England’s veteran striker Harry Kane. Delap, who joined Nottingham Forest this week in a club-record transfer, is expected to make his debut for Forest against Liverpool on Saturday.

The 23-year-old striker moved to Forest after a challenging period at Chelsea, where he failed to secure a regular first-team place. Delap scored 12 goals for Ipswich Town two seasons ago but managed just one league goal last season with Chelsea and was reportedly excluded from first-team training before Forest intervened.

Speaking ahead of Delap’s debut, Glasner highlighted the need for England to develop new centre forwards, noting that the current top options such as Kane, Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney, and Danny Welbeck are all 30 or older. “Every player needs a personal goal, and this is what I spoke about with Liam,” Glasner said. “Liam is 23. He’s a player with a profile every manager wants. We can support him. But he has to come in every morning with the ambition to improve every part of his game.”

Glasner also acknowledged the difficulties Delap faced at Chelsea following his impressive season at Ipswich. “Everyone in the Premier League wanted Liam after his amazing season at Ipswich,” Glasner said. “He had a difficult season at Chelsea, with much higher expectations, especially from himself. The move almost didn’t happen ten days ago. When the door opened, we grabbed Liam’s hand, pulled him through, and now he’s here.”

He added that Forest’s search for a striker with both physical presence and speed made Delap the ideal fit for the club. “I think we are the perfect club for him. He’s hungry. He wants to improve,” Glasner said, expressing optimism that Delap’s career can be revitalized at the City Ground.

Delap’s transfer to Nottingham Forest represents a significant investment, with the club reportedly paying £50 million to secure the striker’s signature. The club and manager hope the move will help Delap regain the form that made him stand out at Ipswich and eventually position him as a contender to lead England’s attacking line in the coming years.

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