Will Lankshear has made a sensational start to his Middlesbrough career, quickly silencing doubters and prompting comparisons to England captain Harry Kane. The young striker, who joined Middlesbrough from Tottenham Hotspur for a fee potentially rising to £20 million, has already impressed with a debut goal in the Carabao Cup and a brace in his Championship opener. His early performances have led striking coach Scott Chickelday to suggest Lankshear is the closest finisher he has seen to Kane.
Rapid Rise and Impressive Debut Season
Lankshear’s move to Middlesbrough has been met with immediate success. His debut saw him score a volleyed winner against Wrexham in the Carabao Cup. He followed this up with two crucial goals in Middlesbrough’s Championship opener against Lincoln City, helping his new team secure a comeback victory. These performances have validated the significant investment made by Middlesbrough and have quickly turned heads in the football world.
Praise from Striking Coach: The Next Kane?
Scott Chickelday, who has worked one-on-one with Lankshear on his finishing for the past two years, is a vocal admirer. Despite working with top Premier League talent, Chickelday rates Lankshear’s finishing ability as superior. “He has got all the finishes in the book,” Chickelday stated. “He has got the little flicks around the corner, tap-ins, headers, volleys. Just an all-round No 9 and there are not many around at the minute. His finishing is incredible.”
The comparison to Harry Kane, England’s all-time leading scorer and a multiple Golden Boot winner, is a bold one. However, Chickelday stands by his assessment: “I tell people and they laugh at me, but this boy is the closest thing I have seen to Harry Kane.” This high praise highlights Lankshear’s exceptional talent and potential.
Parallels with Kane’s Career Trajectory
Beyond finishing ability, observers note parallels between Lankshear and Kane’s career paths, attitudes, and development. Like Kane, Lankshear experienced loan spells that didn’t immediately yield the desired results. An early loan to West Bromwich Albion, for instance, concluded without a goal. However, his time at Oxford United proved more personally beneficial, even as the club was relegated from the Championship.
Learning from Adversity at Oxford
Matt Bloomfield, who took over as head coach at Oxford United in January, was impressed by Lankshear’s resilience and work ethic during a difficult period for the club. Tasked with leading the line for a team battling relegation, Lankshear was required to develop different aspects of his game. “He worked incredibly hard for us, left everything out on the pitch,” Bloomfield recalled. “With very limited senior football behind him, he just needed help to round his game off. We were out of possession a lot so it was about being in position when we won it back. We did a lot of work on his hold-up play and being a nuisance when we cleared the ball.”
Despite Oxford’s struggles, Lankshear managed to score 11 goals in the Championship last season, a commendable tally in a relegated side. Chickelday emphasized the difficulty of performing in such circumstances: “In a team that got relegated, that is some going. It is tough when you are down there.”
A New Environment at Middlesbrough
Bloomfield believes Lankshear’s move to Middlesbrough offers a more conducive environment for his attacking talents. “He is in a totally different environment now,” he agreed. “Middlesbrough will dominate the ball and that will suit him even more with the opportunities that they create.” He added, “He is born to score goals. He is obsessed. All he wants to do is train and score.”
Dedication and Drive: The Kane Mentality
The dedication Lankshear shows mirrors that of elite players like Kane. “He has got an edge to him,” Bloomfield observed. “He wants to be successful. All the top players are single-minded and driven.” This drive is evident in his training habits. Lankshear consistently seeks to improve, often staying late after sessions for extra finishing practice. Chickelday noted Lankshear’s commitment: “He does not just turn up, do a session and go. He will get there 40 minutes before the session starts, do a warm up and then do the hour with me. Then they will stay for another 25 to 30 minutes doing running after the session. That shows you his mentality.”
Lankshear’s older brother, Alex, also a footballer, sometimes joins these extra sessions. The focus is on repetition and match-specific scenarios, honing various finishing techniques. Chickelday highlighted a goal Lankshear scored for Oxford against Sheffield Wednesday, describing it as a “typical Kane finish where he cuts in and bends the ball into the top corner.”
Versatility and Unpredictability in Finishing
Lankshear’s ability to finish with both feet adds to his unpredictability. “Whatever he can do on his right foot, he can do on his left,” Chickelday explained. “That is what gives him that unpredictability when he is finishing as well. He does not mind which way that the defender shows him.” His ruthlessness and consistency in hitting the target are also key attributes, with a phenomenal shots-on-target ratio.
Beyond spectacular goals, Lankshear also demonstrates a strong instinct for poaching, making effective runs to capitalize on rebounds and fumbles. His expected goals per shot statistic ranked third among Championship players with 50 or more shots last season, indicating his ability to get into high-quality scoring positions through his work rate.
Future Prospects and Premier League Ambitions
The combination of natural talent and relentless dedication fuels significant optimism about Lankshear’s future. Chickelday believes Lankshear has the mentality to reach the very top, aiming to be the best striker in England and eventually the world. “I really would not be surprised in two years’ time if he is Harry Kane’s replacement,” Chickelday stated, while acknowledging the need for Lankshear to focus on his current role at Middlesbrough.
Looking further ahead, Chickelday speculated that Lankshear could become a £100 million striker within two more moves if his development continues apace. For now, however, the immediate goal is to help Middlesbrough achieve promotion to the Premier League. Both Chickelday and Bloomfield are confident in Lankshear’s trajectory. “Will is going to the very top,” Bloomfield asserted, expressing absolute certainty in the young striker’s future success.
Lankshear’s journey from Tottenham’s academy to becoming a key player for Middlesbrough, coupled with his remarkable finishing ability and unwavering dedication, positions him as one of the most exciting young prospects in English football. His early performances suggest that the comparisons to Harry Kane may not be mere hyperbole, but a glimpse into a potentially stellar future.
