Delap: Forest New Signing's 'Fighting Spirit' Comes from Battles with His Brother

Liam Delap, the player set to join Nottingham Forest, could quickly become a fan favourite. This is not only because of his strong physical attributes, but also because of his determined, never-give-up fighting spirit.

These qualities were the main reasons Forest head coach Glasner believed a year ago that he would be an excellent signing for Crystal Palace — and they are also the reasons Glasner wanted to bring him to the City Ground this season.

The 23-year-old forward believes he performs best when he is in an “annoying edge” state on the pitch.

This fighting spirit comes from childhood battles with his brother Finn in the backyard — Finn is now a centre-back in League One (the third tier of English football). On Wednesday night, Delap was also at the match to support the 21-year-old Finn as he helped Burton Albion beat AFC Wimbledon 4-1. The Forest newcomer believes their sibling rivalry helped both of them develop a resilient mentality.

“I probably cried a lot and had a lot of fights when I was younger,” Delap said with a laugh in an interview with reporters including The Athletic. “Obviously I won! It really helped both of us. We were always extremely competitive. My parents must have had a nightmare back then, always having to separate us, but it made you stronger. When we played Monopoly as kids, it always ended with the board being flipped! Now we have a very good relationship.”

This was the second consecutive summer that Glasner had tried to convince Delap to join him. This time he succeeded, with Forest paying an initial fee of £45 million (around $61 million) to take Delap from Chelsea. Delap recalled: “I remember the conversations last summer, they really stuck with me.” At the time, he had scored 12 goals for relegated Ipswich Town in the 2024-25 season before joining Chelsea for £30 million.

“You never know what the right decision is because there could be a million different things that happen. But one thing is certain, he (Glasner) spoke very well, and you can see the results he has achieved with forwards in the past. An important reason I came here is that I believe my style of football is exactly suited to this team.”

“That strong mentality runs through every part of life, not just football. It goes back to the topic of my brother — competing against each other in the garden when we were young. That is who I am. When I was younger, I also went through periods where I caused trouble, but you have to cross that line to learn how to control it and stay on the right side of it. You need to be careful, but you also cannot run away from your true self.”

Delap’s critics point out that he has received more yellow cards (33) than he has scored goals (27) during his senior career. However, Glasner and Forest are convinced they have signed a natural goalscorer.