"That's because father Rory was the man who turned the humble throw-in from a functional part of the game to a deadly set-piece. If for whatever reason you don't believe us, then we challenge you to find another footballer with a longer throw-ins' section on their Wikipedia page than the 941-word opus that Delap's page has at the time of writing."
"Delap's throwing prowess was also born out of the skills he showed on both track and field as a kid. The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. I got really good at 800m and javelin I competed at county level and cleaned up in javelin. I think my personal best was 55 metres when I stopped at 14 or 15 and football took over instead."
Rory Delap became renowned for turning the throw-in into a lethal set-piece with exceptionally long deliveries that unsettled opponents. The long throw gained notoriety during a five-and-a-half-year spell at Stoke City, where tall, brave teammates converted many throws into goals. Delap developed the technique throughout his career at Carlisle, Derby and Southampton and applied it for Ireland, adapting its use under managers like Gordon Strachan. The ability grew from a youth background in track and field, particularly javelin, where he achieved about a 55-metre personal best before focusing fully on football.
Read at www.fourfourtwo.com
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