England MU21s' Liam Delap focused on club and country

England men’s under-21s and Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap has enjoyed a strong start to the 2024-25 season for both club and country.

As the Young Lions aim to seal qualification to next summer’s U21 EURO Finals in their final two qualifiers in October, the former Manchester City man sat down to discuss his experiences with England and at club level.

How does it feel to be meeting up with the MU21s again?

Really good. We’ve got a great group and a lot of my friends are there. It’s two qualifying games, so it’s a really important window. I’m really looking forward to it.

It’s two goals and two assists in qualification for you so far, how would you evaluate the campaign on a personal level?

It’s good, but obviously there’s always room to improve. I think we could’ve definitely done better, and I could’ve definitely done better in some games.

While it’s not completely in our hands whether or not we top the qualifying group, how important is it to finish strong? Especially with the first match of the window being against Ukraine…

We know we’ve just got to go and play our game, win the next two matches and then hope and see what everyone else does. But I think it’s just important that we focus on both of the game individually and make sure we win.

What do you think you learned from the last time we played against Ukraine?

We were probably sloppy at times, and there were too many times where we gave them chances to attack. Now, we can look back at it and we’ll probably stop that. So, I think we’ll be confident going into the game that we can put right what we didn’t do well in the previous one.

How have you found life as a regular in the Premier League?

It’s really good. I felt like I was ready for the next step and every game I feel like I’m enjoying it more and more. I’m learning so much under a new manager and a new team, and playing against the best players in the world week in, week out you’re only going to improve as a player.

How has it felt to score your first Premier League goals?

It’s really good for my confidence and for the team as well. We’ve had a tough start, but we’ve just got to carry on. On a personal note, it’s really pleasing, so I’ve just got to back it up now and continue.

Do you think getting those Premier League minutes helps when you come away for international duty?

Yes, 100 per cent. The level of opposition that you’re playing against every week is so good, so you learn as a player and improve. When you come away, you can add all those little things into the game, along with what all the other boys bring. It definitely helps.

What are your personal goals for the next few years, both at club and international level?

At club level, we want to continue putting on good performances and just improving week by week and see where it gets us. On an individual level, keep performing well and helping the team. Then internationally, get through qualifying and try and top the group and put us in good stead for the EUROs in the summer.

You can read the full interview with Liam in the official match programme for the games against Ukraine and Azerbaijan, which will be available at both venues.