This is his first season at this level, and he is playing for a freshly promoted team where he was not even expected to be the starting striker. But after 23 outings, he has nine goals and two assists.

He has scored more goals than Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, Dominic Solanke, Hueng-min Son, and Jarrod Bowen combined. He is equal with Kai Havertz and Nicolas Jackson, and only one behind Ollie Watkins and Jean-Philippe Mateta.

 

“It’s come really positively for me,” he told me. “At the start of the season, I knew I had trust in my ability to score.

“It’s a tribute to the management and the lads for helping me progress day by day in training.

“Getting there, it’s obviously an individual stat, but without the team behind me, I wouldn’t have been able to do it.”

Kieran McKenna definitely had a significant role in Delap’s choice to relocate to Suffolk. The striker got attention from Southampton and elsewhere, but eventually decided that he wanted to work.

“I think he’s incredible,” he exclaimed. “How he interacts with us as athletes, how he controls us, and how he teaches us each day. His attention to detail is exceptional.

“You can tell that everyone is growing with each game, which I believe is a tribute to him.

“I knew that coming here was going to be a wonderful thing. I was definitely pleasantly surprised by how pleased I am here and how much I like it.”

Their recent run has been poor, with four consecutive defeats preceding an FA Cup triumph over Championship club Coventry. Delap, on the other hand, has stated that their attitude would never change – neither too high nor too low.

“It doesn’t change,” he explained. “They have worked extremely hard over the last few years to establish that culture.”

“We come in on a Sunday or Monday after a game, and it never changes whether we win or lose.

“We can’t linger on the losses; we simply need to focus on the next game. Everyone enters with that attitude.

“We simply need to focus on the specifics. Our results have improved, but there are still a few minor modifications that need to be made.

“We know them as players, and we know we can handle them. It’s simply about being consistent in delivering it game after game and hopefully coming out with the points.

“The culture here is exceptional. Everyone challenges each other on a daily basis, and it’s a great place to work.

“Everyone is happy, and everyone expects something from each other.” Whether we’ve won or lost, it’s always the same.”

Blocking off the outside noise is vital for any player, but especially for Delap, who has been connected with every top-six Premier League club at some stage in recent months.

There is certainly a lot of interest in the 22-year-old, but his primary concentration is on Ipswich, therefore football comes first.

“It’s ingrained in us as footballers,” he claimed. “It’s critical, especially for me, to concentrate on where I’m at now.