Liam Delap is clearly his father’s son. Not only because he has Rory as his middle name, but because he apparently shares his dad’s famous knack for taking one heck of a throw-in.
Rory Delap was something of a pioneer in having opposition defenders on the back foot with his ability to hurl the ball deep into the penalty area.
Seven of the first 13 goals Stoke City scored during the 2008-09 season came as a result of Delap’s long throws, which their manager, Tony Pulis, frequently claimed were more dangerous than a corner kick.
So it felt fitting, somehow, that one of his son’s first major contributions in a Nottingham Forest shirt was to take a quick throw — albeit one that Liverpool’s players claimed was a foul — that saw him flight the ball perfectly into the path of Neco Williams, who was subsequently brought down by goalkeeper Alisson to earn his new side a go-ahead penalty at Anfield on Saturday.
But it is through a different set of qualities that the 23-year-old striker can be more regularly expected to torment opposition defenders following his move from Chelsea.
Chatting with Dan after his first goal of the season. 💬 pic.twitter.com/7oAGFp72IK
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) August 30, 2026
And, after coming off the bench in the 66th minute, Delap’s short cameo against Liverpool demonstrated why he might be an important piece of the jigsaw for Forest’s new head coach Oliver Glasner.
A little over 25 years ago, Delap Senior cost £4million when he moved from Derby County to Southampton. The fact that Forest are investing over 10 times that amount in his son is a sign of how much fees have inflated and — more importantly — of the quality and potential the younger Delap comes armed with.
He ticks many of the boxes Glasner wanted to see in the striker signing he’s craved since being appointed in early July.
In his short time on the pitch on Saturday, Delap showed he can be a threat carrying the ball — he completed two of his three dribbles, covering a total distance of 53.5m.
But his biggest contribution is one that is harder to define with statistics alone. His bustling, determined presence just gave Liverpool’s defenders a headache whenever he got on the ball. He has pace, physicality and the simple desire to be a pest.
And, after two defeats against Leeds in the league and Carabao Cup for Forest to start their season, the 2-2 draw was a timely performance when more than one player suggested they can comfortably slot into the roles Glasner wants them to play, within the specific demands of his 3-4-2-1 formation.
It felt as though this was the first proper glimpse of the ethos the Austrian aims to instil in this side. It is only one game but if Forest had occasionally looked disjointed and uncertain against Leeds, they seemed more finely honed against a Liverpool team who will have been grateful to emerge from the match with a point.
In those two games against Leeds, James McAtee had shown flashes of promise, as well as moments where he looked uncomfortable in the deeper-lying midfield role Forest believe he can thrive in. At Anfield, he looked right at home in the centre of the pitch. It would be too strong to call it a midfield masterclass, but it was not far off.
Glasner believes McAtee has the quality to have a similar level of impact on this Forest side as Adam Wharton did for him at previous employers Crystal Palace. Other senior figures at the club believe he can ultimately fill the void left by Elliot Anderson’s £116million departure to Manchester City earlier this summer.
Delap’s debut. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/1lWjrCVxs9
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) August 30, 2026
One sweeping cross set up a brilliant chance for Dan Ndoye, who planted a header narrowly wide. But it was the defensive side of McAtee’s game that also stood out, as he recovered the ball five times, made two clearances and won seven ground duels.
“He got the man of the match award. I don’t like to talk about individuals, but he had a very good performance, a very good game, and he is understanding more and more about how we want him to play. He has quick solutions,” said Glasner in his post-match press conference.
McAtee and Delap after the final whistle (Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Alongside McAtee, Xaver Schlager demonstrated why Glasner was so keen to be reunited with the midfielder he managed previously at Wolfsburg as he performed with endless industry, winning five of his seven contested tackles.
Forest continue to strive to make further additions before Tuesday night’s deadline, although they suffered a blow when Everton’s hierarchy decided to pull out of selling them versatile midfielder Harrison Armstrong in a £40million deal that had progressed significantly.
The closest potential move to completion is the one involving Daniel Munoz, the Palace and Colombia wing-back, with the clubs having agreed a £22million fee for a player Glasner managed for the past three seasons at Selhurst Park.
Morgan Gibbs-White is mobbed by team-mates after scoring Forest’s second goal (Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images)
In that context, it was the perfect moment for Ola Aina to demonstrate he can adapt to the wing-back role on the right side. He was a key figure in creating two of the best chances of the first half, including delivering a cross to the far post that Ndoye headed down for Igor Jesus — who saw his shot brilliantly blocked on the line.
Munoz will be a quality addition if that signing gets over the line, but he will have competition for his place.
Ndoye and Jesus also looked the part as part of Forest’s attacking trio, with the latter holding the ball up brilliantly before Morgan Gibbs-White fed the former to score the game’s opening goal.
Gibbs-White himself was again a huge influence, although that is nothing new.
The Forest captain has now provided a goal or an assist in 11 straight Premier League games. The 13 goals he has scored in 2026, following his calmly-converted penalty that put Forest in front for the second time on 70 minutes, are more than any other player in the division.
Following those defeats to Leeds, some had already begun to ask questions over whether this was the right formation for Forest and the right fit for the players Glasner has inherited.
There is still plenty of work to be done but, at Anfield, this performance suggested that Forest can make their new manager’s ethos work.
