Liam Delap admits being frustrated and angry during tough Chelsea spell as £50m Nottingham Forest striker eyes England call-up

Nottingham Forest striker Liam Delap has opened up on the frustration and anger he experienced during his difficult spell at Chelsea before completing a £50 million summer move to the City Ground. Having rediscovered his goalscoring touch in the East Midlands, the 23-year-old forward is now determined to earn a maiden senior England call-up. Forward reflects on Stamford Bridge Delap is targeting international recognition after reviving his top-flight career following an underwhelming year in west London. The forward netted twice against boyhood club Manchester City over the weekend to secure a 3-1 victory that lifted Forest out of the Premier League relegation zone. That brace took his league tally for the campaign to three goals, already surpassing his entire output from the 2025-26 season at Stamford Bridge. Difficult spell provides valuable lessons After catching the eye at Ipswich Town, the frontman joined Chelsea for £30m in June 2025 , but he managed just two goals across 41 appearances in all competitions, with only one of those strikes coming in the Premier League. Speaking to talkSPORT on the White and Jordan show on Wednesday, Delap reflected candidly on how those struggles shaped his mentality: "When things don't go so well, you learn a lot. "You're sitting there sometimes, frustrated and angry. But you've just go to get through those moments because football's not a linear path. I think it grows you as a man more than anything, to be honest, just staying focused and concentrating on yourself." Striker targets senior international bow With domestic football pausing for the final international window of 2026, the striker has remained in the East Midlands after being overlooked for England's upcoming fixtures against Croatia and Spain. Despite scoring 14 times in 38 outings across various youth levels for his country, he is still waiting for his first senior involvement. Asked about his ambition to represent the Three Lions, Delap replied: "Yeah, 100 per cent, it's the ambition as a little kid. I've just got to focus on what I can control, focus on game by game at Forest, and then see what happens." Euro qualifiers offer springboard opportunity Delap has ample time to force his way into head coach Thomas Tuchel's plans ahead of Euro 2028, which runs from June 9 to July 9, 2028. With official qualifying starting in March next year and captain Harry Kane firmly established as the first choice, the Forest recruit has a strong chance of becoming a backup option. Continuing his prolific form after the break will keep him firmly on Tuchel's radar.