Liam Delap targets England call-up after leaving Chelsea struggles behind at Nottingham Forest

Liam Delap has set his sights on a first senior England call-up after a strong start to life at Nottingham Forest following a frustrating spell at Chelsea. The striker, who signed in a £50million move from Chelsea during the summer, shone for his new club in their 3-1 win over Manchester City over the weekend. His double took his league tally to three for the season thus far, and he has already beaten his total from the 2025/26 campaign at Chelsea.

Reflecting on his difficult time at Stamford Bridge, Delap said: "When things don't go so well, you learn a lot. You're sitting there sometimes, frustrated and angry. But you've just got 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, he added.

Club football has paused for the international break for one final time in 2026, and Delap did not receive a call-up for upcoming matches against Croatia and Spain. "Yeah, 100 per cent, it's the ambition as a little kid," he said of his England aspirations. "I've just got to focus on what I can control, focus on game by game at Forest, and then see what happens."

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Former England international Danny Murphy believes Delap has a strong chance of making the squad for Euro 2028 if he maintains his current form. "I think Liam's got a great chance of carrying on the way he is," Murphy said. "If he's playing regularly and his confidence builds, I think he's got a great chance of being in the Euros squad."

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