Pep Guardiola lauded Liam Delap after Manchester City’s FA Cup win against Fulham, with the manager also revealing how Aymeric Laporte and Ruben Dias struggle to defend against him in training.
Speaking to the club’s official website, the Premier League manager hailed the forward’s ‘special quality’ as Delap made a 13-minute cameo for City in his first senior appearance of the season.
Delap has spent most of this campaign struggling with fitness after a breakout season with City last year. The striker was key to the club’s Premier League 2 title, with the 18-year-old also scoring on his first-team debut for the Manchester side.
And against Fulham, Delap was back in action, with the City youngster coming on in the final minutes of the match as Guardiola’s side progressed to the next round in a 4-1 win against the Championship leaders.
Indeed, Delap could feature more for City with the striker fully fit following his appearance against Fulham. And speaking to the press, Guardiola revealed that the striker has been a handful for even the best defenders at the club in training.
The City boss said: “Every training session, against Aymeric [Laporte], against Ruben [Dias], against John [Stones], Nathan [Ake]; he fights, and most of the time he wins these duels, or breaks his nose or something like that.”
Delap could feature more for City after appearance against Fulham
The City academy machine is in full motion with Cole Palmer and James McAtee joining Phil Foden in the first-team this season, and after his cameo against Fulham, Delap could be the next player to join the senior fold.
Indeed, Delap yesterday became the first natural striker to play for City this season, with Guardiola a big fan of the attacker and the teenager going toe-to-toe with the club’s best defenders, we could see more of the youngster in the coming months.
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