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Rory John Delap (born 6 July 1976) is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Born in England, he made 11 appearances for the Republic of Ireland national team.
Delap started his career at Carlisle United and impressed enough to earn a move to Premiership side Derby County in 1998. In 2001, Delap joined Southampton for a club record of £4 million. After spending five years on the south coast, he moved to Sunderland. Following a brief spell on Wearside, Delap was loaned to Stoke City in October 2006. In just his second match for Stoke, against his parent club Sunderland, Delap suffered a broken leg. Despite this, Delap signed a permanent contract for Stoke in January 2007. He went on to become a vital member of the squad and his long helped Stoke gain promotion to the Premier League and consolidate in the league. After spending six seasons at Stoke, Delap had short spells with Barnsley and Burton Albion before retiring in December 2013.
A midfielder by trade, he was renowned for his long throw-in ability. Stoke 2–1 Arsenal Ian Hughes, BBC Sport Online, 1 November 2008. Retrieved 2 November 2008 (includes video interview discussing his long throw-in). Between the touchlines, he was famed for his fitness and work rate, which gave him a valuable role in breaking up opposition play. Delap was a talented javelin thrower in his youth, and was touted to represent Ireland in the Olympics after his throw-ins shot to prominence following Stoke's promotion to the Premier League.
After finishing his playing career, Delap returned to his former club Derby County where he began his coaching career. After coaching the club's under-18 team, he replaced Darren Wassall as the under-21 head coach in February 2016, winning the U21 Premier League 1 Division 2 title in his first season in charge.
Although Delap failed to score during the 2002–03 campaign, he made a total of 30 appearances in all competitions and helped Southampton reach the 2003 FA Cup Final, despite missing the game due to an ankle injury. Although they narrowly lost to Arsenal after Robert Pires scored the only goal of the game, the Gunners had already qualified for the Champions League after finishing second in the Premier League, therefore Southampton qualified for the UEFA Cup. Their UEFA Cup campaign was short-lived, after a 1–1 draw with Steaua București at St. Mary's was followed by a 1–0 away defeat on 15 October 2003. Delap played in both legs.
Delap's third goal for Southampton and arguably the best of his career, was a spectacular bicycle kick in a 1–0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on 27 March 2004. The 64th-minute strike ended a near two-year goal drought. Seven months later he scored two headers in a 2–2 draw with Arsenal at Arsenal Stadium. Both goals came in the last ten minutes of the game, and would have secured three points for Southampton had it not been for Robin van Persie's last-minute equaliser, which maintained Arsenal's position at the top of the Premier League.
Delap proved crucial in Stoke's 2009–10 FA Cup campaign. His throw-ins created two goals in a third-round win over York City, helping Stoke come from behind within just two minutes. Daniel Parslow headed the first into his own net, before Ricardo Fuller put Stoke ahead after York failed to clear the second. Just 70 seconds into their fourth-round tie with Arsenal, Fuller gave Stoke the lead from Delap's swirling throw-in. Stoke won the game 3–1. In their fifth-round tie against Manchester City, Fuller converted yet another Delap throw-in to cancel out an early goal from Shaun Wright-Phillips. Several pundits drew comparisons to Fuller's goal against Arsenal in the previous round. A replay was required after the game finished 1–1. The replay finished 1–1 over 90 minutes, meaning extra-time was required. Just five minutes into extra-time, Ryan Shawcross beat Shay Given to the ball and headed in from Delap's throw-in. Tuncay later added to the scoring, ensuring Stoke made it to the quarter-finals. Stoke were defeated 2–0 by holders Chelsea in the quarter-finals.
Delap in-directly assisted two more goals from throw-ins during the remainder of Stoke's league campaign. Danny Pugh scored in a 3–1 defeat to Arsenal on 27 February 2010, while Tuncay scored a header in a 1–1 draw with Burnley on 10 March 2010. Stoke finished the season in 11th place with 47 points, one place and two points higher than the previous season.
While Delap's throw-ins were becoming much less effective in the Premier League, they were decisive throughout Stoke's 2010–11 FA Cup campaign. They created goals against Brighton & Hove Albion, West Ham and Bolton Wanderers, helping Stoke reach their first ever FA Cup Final. Stoke lost 1–0 to Manchester City in the final, but as City had already qualified for the Champions League through the league, Stoke qualified for the Europa League.
In April 2011, Delap signed a one-year extension to his contract. After turning 35, Delap stated that he had no plans for retirement.
On 31 January 2013, Delap joined Barnsley on loan until the end of the season. Soon after his move to Oakwell, he expressed his desire to make the move permanent in order to continue his playing career. Following his debut in a 2–1 win over Blackpool, his throw-in quickly caused problems as it created Scott Golbourne's equaliser in a 3–2 victory over Middlesbrough. He then assisted Chris Dagnall's header in his third league appearance against Wolves, before his throw created Tomasz Cywka's goal in a 5–3 defeat to Bristol City.
He left Stoke at the end of the season, bringing to an end a seven-year spell at the club.
Delap returned to Stoke in June 2018 as first-team coach to Gary Rowett. Delap took caretaker charge of Stoke on 1 November 2019 following the sacking of Nathan Jones. His one game in charge was a 2–0 home loss to West Bromwich Albion four days later, and Michael O'Neill was appointed on 9 November. Delap left his role at Stoke in January 2023.
In June 2023, Delap was appointed assistant under head coach Robbie Keane at Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. Delap and his former international teammate Keane were evacuated to Greece during the Gaza war, while their team led the table with four wins and a draw. After helping the club to win the league and Toto Cup, Delap along with Keane departed the club.
Fellow professionals similarly renowned for long throw-ins, such as Mario Melchiot, formerly of Wigan Athletic, and Lee Dixon, formerly of Arsenal, also spoke of their admiration for Delap. Melchiot described Delap's ability as "one hell of a throw-in" and a "great weapon", having already set Delap out for unique praise in stating that he did not think there was "anyone in the league that can throw like him". Melchiot hails Delap throw. Sky Sports. 3 November 2008. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
To increase the momentum of the throw, Delap took four steps from the advertising boards around the pitch, followed by one long stride. In doing this he planted his front foot solidly on the ground propelling all momentum forward, thus increasing the speed with which the ball was released. Delap said he did not work on building his upper body strength and physique, although he used his shoulders and lower back muscles to give power to his throw. For the ball to reach his target faster, Delap threw it on a flat trajectory releasing in such a way as to cause large amounts of backspin. This helped to counter Gravitation so the ball travelled on a more level elevation even though it was released at such a low angle. He tended to target two players within 6ft of each other. His throw-ins are reputed as more accurate than most corners being that more muscles are used to control the direction in which the ball travels. Football Throw-in Analysis. The Guardian. 18 September 2008. Retrieved 2 November 2008.
Factors, according to Dixon's analysis, which further enhanced the dangerous nature of Delap's throw-ins were the fact that "you cannot be offside from a throw-in, so the attackers can crowd the six-yard box" and "because a free-kick starts with the ball on the ground it means it has to have a natural arc in order to get up and over the first defender", whereas "from a throw-in the ball starts from six-feet and it is the angle and trajectory of Delap's darts that make them so potent".
In the 2008–09 Premier League season Delap's throw-ins led directly to both goals scored in at least two matches. Both Stoke goals in the 3–2 loss to Everton on 14 September 2008 came about as a result of Delap's throw. Afterwards Everton manager David Moyes referred to Delap as the "Human Sling". Later, Delap used his ability to help score Stoke's goals in the 2–1 victory over Arsenal at the Britannia Stadium on 1 November 2008. The first of these travelled 45 metres from the sideline into the penalty area.
The then Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari described the technique as "fantastic" and suggested the goalkeeper ought not to attempt claiming the ball in this situation. "I think he puts the ball better with his hands than his foot, it's fantastic. I have never seen anything like this in my life; 10 metres outside midfield, this boy puts the ball inside the area. Maybe it's not beautiful football but it's effective." Scolari eyes Drogba to throw off Delap's missile range and stoke Chelsea's fire The Guardian. 27 September 2008. Retrieved 2 November 2008.
Some teams developed techniques to try and put Delap's long throws off. Notable examples include against Hull City on 29 November 2008, goalkeeper Boaz Myhill kicking the ball out beyond the byline for a corner kick instead of out into touch when under pressure; unused Hull substitute Dean Windass received a yellow card for unsporting behaviour after warming up too close to Delap when preparing to take a throw-in. On 27 March 2010, West Ham United erected an extra set of advertising boards considerably close to the touchline to hamper Delap's run-up, but he was still capable of reaching the penalty box in spite of the limited space. These boards backfired when West Ham lost possession from a Julien Faubert throw-in, which led to Ricardo Fuller scoring the only goal of the game in Stoke's favour. Burnley also tried a similar tactic; however, the match finished 1–1 with Stoke's goal coming from a Delap throw.
Delap served as the inspiration for Danny Brooks – a P.E. teacher from West Yorkshire who broke the world record for the longest football throw-in. He performed a flip throw to gain extra momentum and lifted the record to . The record was once again broken on 18 June 2010 by Thomas Grønnemark of Denmark, who threw the ball . Subsequently, American flip thrower Michael Lewis set a new Guinness World Record when he recorded a throw-in of 59.817 m (65.417 yd) in Frisco, Texas in April 2019.7475
Delap has been acknowledged for his generosity towards the Donna Louise Children's Hospice in Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent. He completed a 202-mile bike ride from Newcastle upon Tyne to Edinburgh in June 2009, raising more than £7,000 for the charity. He then repeated the same route in June 2010, completing it in just two days.
Delap also took part in and won Marco Pierre White's Stoke Kitchen contest, with the proceeds benefiting Caudwell Children. The contest also featured a special appearance from Soccer AM Tubes.
Due to the use of his shoulders and lower back muscles when throwing a football, Delap is an ambassador of Back in Play – a campaign to help raise awareness of Ankylosing spondylitis.
Delap appears on the cover of "...And She Laughed No More: Stoke City's First Premiership Adventure", a book written by Stoke supporter Stephen Foster.
His sons, Liam Delap and Finn Delap, are both professional footballers, playing for Chelsea and Burton Albion respectively.
| + Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | |||
| Carlisle United | 1992–93 | Third Division | 0 |
| 1993–94 | Third Division | 0 | |
| 1994–95 | Third Division | 0 | |
| 1995–96 | Second Division | 3 | |
| 1996–97 | Third Division | 4 | |
| 1997–98 | Second Division | 0 | |
| Derby County | 1997–98 | Premier League | 0 |
| 1998–99 | Premier League | 1 | |
| 1999–2000 | Premier League | 8 | |
| 2000–01 | Premier League | 4 | |
| Southampton | 2001–02 | Premier League | 2 |
| 2002–03 | Premier League | 0 | |
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 1 | |
| 2004–05 | Premier League | 2 | |
| 2005–06 | Championship | 0 | |
| Sunderland | 2005–06 | Premier League | 1 |
| 2006–07 | Championship | 0 | |
| Stoke City | 2006–07 | Championship | 0 |
| 2007–08 | Championship | 2 | |
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 2 | |
| 2009–10 | Premier League | 0 | |
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 2 | |
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 2 | |
| 2012–13 | Premier League | 0 | |
| Barnsley (loan) | 2012–13 | Championship | 0 |
| Burton Albion | 2013–14 | League Two | 1 |
| + Appearances and goals by national team and year | |
| Republic of Ireland | 0 |
| 0 | |
| 0 | |
| 0 | |
| 0 | |
| 0 | |
| + Managerial record by team and tenure !Team!!From!!class="unsortable" | To!!Matches!!Won!!Drawn!!Lost!!Win% | |
| Stoke City (caretaker) | 1 November 2019 | 8 November 2019 |
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