Liam Delap acknowledges ‘foolish, absurd’ mistake against Chelsea, leaving Alan Shearer perplexed.

Liam Delap acknowledged, “I shouldn’t have waited,” following an unusual celebration for what he mistakenly believed was a Chelsea goal during their 4-0 victory over Hull.

Alan Shearer expressed confusion over Delap’s actions, as he celebrated when the ball hit the crossbar and bounced down onto the goalline on Friday night, instead of capitalizing on the rebound.

The Chelsea forward obstructed a clearance from Hull goalkeeper Dillon Phillips in their FA Cup fourth round match. However, as the ball lingered above the goalline, he initially celebrated before appealing to the officials, thinking he had ample time to secure the goal.

Delap eventually regained his focus, but his follow-up attempt was thwarted by Phillips.

“Goodness me,” remarked the legendary goalscorer Shearer during his commentary for BBC.

“What is Delap doing?

“It seems as though he believes, ‘I have all the time in the world.’ He strolls towards it and takes his time. What are you waiting for?

“Liam Delap has not had a good four minutes. He has given the ball away twice and missed a clear chance. Delap has been underwhelming and has been presented with an opportunity tonight. Delap appears very lackadaisical; his performances need to improve.”

Delap later shared with BBC: “I thought it went in, and then I was waiting for the referee to blow his whistle.

“Clearly, I [shouldn’t] have waited for the referee’s whistle. It’s foolish on my part, but yes, it was crazy.”

Shearer noted after Delap provided three assists in the 4-0 victory: “Delap bounced back well from that start and played a key role in the win. He deserves significant credit for that.”

Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior stated: “To be a No. 9, particularly in the system we employ, it’s not solely about oneself.

“It’s about facilitating others in the game. Sometimes it involves making selfless runs so that other players can find space.”

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Delap has netted only twice in 23 appearances since transferring to Chelsea from Ipswich Town last summer.

João Pedro has been favored as Chelsea’s primary striker, but Delap was granted a chance in a rotated lineup for the FA Cup.

In a first half that featured his peculiar goalline blunder, Delap took until the 40th minute to complete a pass into the opponent’s half, which ultimately became an assist for the opening goal.

Pedro Neto’s hat trick, along with a goal from Estêvão, ensured Chelsea’s advancement.