Regular games, playing like Man City and the Freedom of Stoke - what Liam Delap can expect on loan

Liam Delap was in the stands at the bet365 Stadium on Wednesday to see Stoke salvage a point against Middlesbrough thanks to a late equaliser from former Manchester City youngster D'Margio Wright-Phillips.

Delap, 19, was in Stoke ahead of a season-long loan move, with the Potters winning the race to sign the prolific youth-level striker ahead of a number of Championship and Premier League sides. He will now be looking to get regular games at a club who developed City teammate Taylor Harwood-Bellis last season before his switch to Burnley for this campaign.

There will be plenty of expectant eyes on Delap this year after his blistering form for City's youth teams over the last three years, and a frustrating campaign last year that was hampered by injuries. Now, he will link up with his father Rory, a Stoke hero, who is a first-team coach at the Potters.

ALSO READ:Stoke win race to sign Man City striker Liam Delap on loan

To find out what Delap, City and Stoke can expect to gain from the loan deal, we asked Pete Smith of the Stoke Sentinel why they won the race for Delap and how he will be expected to fit in:

Why did Stoke make Delap a target - and what helped them win the race?

First off, it’s pretty obvious why Stoke would make Delap a target. There won’t be many, maybe any, better players available to any Championship club this summer. If there was a chance Pep Guardiola was going to sanction any loan he wasn’t going to be short of offers.

But never mind Rory Delap being a hero and a coach, it’s taken months behind the scenes to get Stoke to the front of the queue. They haven’t convinced City with a financial package, it’s about offering game time, looking after the player and being the right place for his development.