Enzo Maresca says he had no doubts that new Chelsea signing Liam Delap would hit the ground running after his fine cameo in their opening Club World Cup win over Los Angeles FC.
Delap came off the bench in the second half and needed just 15 minutes to tee up fellow substitute Enzo Fernandez in Monday's 2-0 victory in Atlanta.
Maresca, who worked with the England Under-21s international during the pair's time with Manchester City's academy, had previously said he expects Delap to become England's number nine.
The 22-year-old duly delivered with an impressive substitute performance, though it came as little surprise to Chelsea head coach Maresca.
"The good thing about Liam is that he knows the way we want to play, so the process is quite quick," Maresca said live on Channel 5.
Nicolas Jackson had earlier got the nod to lead the line as Maresca's first-choice striking option, and he played a key role in setting up Pedro Neto's well-taken opener in the 34th minute.
Delap could have had another assist to his name, however, creating two chances, a tally bettered by only Neto (four) and Jackson (three) for either side.
"It's always healthy to have competition," Delap said on Channel 5 in his post-match interview when asked about Senegal's Jackson.
"It's football and it's an incredible club, so it's going to be hard, but you've got to thrive off competition."
Delap for his debut!
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) June 16, 2025
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Delap scored 12 goals for Ipswich Town last season before sealing a reported £30m move to Stamford Bridge this month after relegation with Kieran McKenna's side.
It remains to be seen who Maresca's first-choice option will be when the Premier League season starts in August, though Delap is already starting to feel settled in with his new team.
"It was really exciting to be here, to play my first game and contribute, it's a good feeling," he continued. "They've welcomed me, I've only had a few sessions, but I can't wait for even more."
Maresca's immediate focus will not turn to the striker debate, however, with Brazilian giants Flamengo to follow on Friday.
"We need to recover, game in three days, we'll see," the Italian added. "We'll try to prepare in the best way and try to win.
"At this stage of the season, it is also normal that you have to manage different kinds of things. Overall, the performance has been good."