All-time Premier League top goalscorer Alan Shearer has issued a direct challenge to Nottingham Forest forward Liam Delap, warning the £50 million striker that he must start scoring “scruffy goals” to turn his viral Manchester City performance into long-term top-flight dominance.
Delap was the undisputed hero at the City Ground over the weekend, netting a magnificent second-half brace—including a breathtaking individual second goal—to seal a 3-1 victory over Pep Guardiola’s side and hand Forest their very first home win of the 2026-27 campaign.
The performance earned Delap widespread praise, including a selection in Troy Deeney’s BBC Sport Team of the Week.
However, speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Shearer insisted that the bar has now been set at an elite level for the 23-year-old forward following his summer move from Chelsea.
”Get the Scruffy Ones”: Shearer’s Masterclass Advice for Delap
While admitting Delap’s game-clinching strike against City was a world-class moment, Shearer explained that elite goalscorers rely on dirty, unglamorous finishes inside the six-yard box to maintain high seasonal goal tallies:
“This has to be a lift-off for him now at Forest. This is why they paid the big money for him, for goals like that and performances like the one against Man City. That has to be almost every game now for him going forward.
“If he scores the scruffy goals, his numbers will improve. As a striker, when someone is paying £50 million for you, they want the goals, and that is what he will be judged on. Getting those scruffy goals will help him and his confidence.
“Scoring those goals, he must have so much belief now. He will watch it back, and it should give him great belief and confidence going forward.”
Forest’s Patience Paying Off After Frustrating Chelsea Era
Delap’s two-goal heroics snapped an agonizing goal drought for Oliver Glasner’s side, who had surprisingly failed to score a single home goal at the City Ground prior to Saturday’s thriller.
After enduring a difficult, fragmented campaign at Chelsea before finalizing his £50m move to Trentside, Delap is finally receiving the consistent game time required to develop into a premier number nine:
- First-Choice Guarantee: Unlike his rotation role at Stamford Bridge, Glasner has installed Delap as Forest’s focal point in attack.
- Building Momentum: With captain Ryan Yates anchoring the midfield behind him, Delap is receiving the direct service needed to isolate defenders in transition.
- Confidence Surge: Taking down the defending champions provides Delap with maximum momentum heading into the winter schedule.
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With the international break providing a brief pause in domestic action, all eyes will be on Delap to see if he can heed Shearer’s advice when Premier League play resumes.
Forest face a daunting trip to face high-flying Bournemouth on Saturday, November 21st, where the Red Army will expect their £50m star to pick up right where he left off and carry Forest further away from the relegation zone.
