Enzo Maresca answers tough questions about his playing time promises to Liam Delap | OneFootball

Chelsea kick off their Club World Cup campaign tonight against LAFC, and there’s a lot of excitement around Liam Delap.

The club’s new striker has the hopes of many fans resting on him – can he be the prolific striker we’ve waited so long for? Can he break the famous “curse” of the number 9 shirt at Chelsea? These were the sort of questions being put to Enzo Maresca, who explained he’d see Delap relaxed and happy since starting to train with his new team.

Maresca said “relaxed” Delap settling in well already

Enzo Maresca speaks in a press conference at the Club World Cup.

“Liam knows quite well how important the number 9 for this club is. Personally I don’t see any problem with that, I see Liam quite relaxed, easy,” Maresca said.

He’s doing well since he arrived, he’s working well. We know each other from years ago. So I know what Liam can give us. He knows what we can give to him, to improve and become a better player. And again in terms of the number 9, hopefully he can score goals for us.”

You can see Maresca speaking in the clip embedded here:

Delap given no promises by Maresca

The topic came back to Delap later in the conversation, when an ESPN writer asked what Maresca had told Delap to try and persuade him to join – had he made promises about being first choice (hence getting the number 9 shirt usually reserved for the main striker of a team) or was he in a battle with Nicolas Jackson?

“I never say to a player they’re going to be first choice. The message is always the same. You arrive, you work hard. If you work harder than the other number 9, you’re going to be first choice. The conversation with Liam was quite clear. He was keen to join us, because he knows the way we play.”