Delap applauds Man City academy as he prepares to return to Etihad this weekend

Delap completed a permanent transfer to Ipswich this summer and is now gearing up to take on his former club as Ipswich Town prepares to face off against Manchester City this weekend.

The 21-year-old had a five-year spell in the club's academy and became a crucial figure for City’s Elite Development Squad, helping their Under-21s side to the Premier League 2 crown in 2020/2. 

Delap spoke on what he learnt at the academy and how it help forge the rest of his career. 

“You learn so much and things become natural and you become sharper then you can take that into wherever you go on loan. It helped me a lot. 

“I think everyone (helped me). I came in with Gareth (Taylor) and I had Enzo (Maresca) and Brian (Barry-Murphy).  

“From every coach you learn different things so you can take different values from coaches and add it all into your game.” 

He spoke about his debut for the club and what an honour it was. 

“It was incredible, it’s every boy’s dream really (to make their debut).  

“I was buzzing, the only thing that let it down was COVID so there were no fans. 

“It’s different but I always enjoy it. I like the noise and the atmosphere. When the atmosphere is good, it makes you happy and excited. I really enjoy it.” 

The youngster also made his target clear for the season. 

“I just want to have a really good season and score a lot of goals.”