Will Lankshear has made an eye‑catching start to his Middlesbrough adventure, prompting many to wonder whether Tottenham have inadvertently sold the Premier League’s next Harry Kane. Scott Chickelday, the striker’s specialist coach, told Sky Sports that many people initially doubted the deal, but now those same skeptics are beginning to see the transfer as a potential bargain. Middlesbrough paid an initial fee that could rise to £20 million for the 21‑year‑old forward, and they have already been rewarded. He opened his Boro career with a volleyed winner against Wrexham in the Carabao Cup and then followed that up with a brace that rescued the team in their Championship opener against Lincoln City.
Chickelday, who has worked one‑on‑one with Lankshear for the past two seasons, is hardly surprised by the youngster’s early impact. Although he also coaches established Premier League strikers, he rates Lankshear as the best finisher among them.
“He has every type of finish in the book,” Chickelday explained. “He can flick the ball around the corner, slot in tap‑ins, head, volley – he’s a complete No 9 and there aren’t many players like that at the moment. His finishing is astonishing. People laugh when I say it, but this boy is the closest thing I’ve seen to Harry Kane.” Comparing a 21‑year‑old still finding his feet in senior football to the England record‑goal scorer is a bold claim.
Kane, the all‑time top scorer for England and a former European Golden Shoe holder, sets a very high bar. Yet several observers see striking parallels in their pathways, work ethic and mentality.
Like Kane, Lankshear’s loan spells away from Tottenham have been a mixed bag. A brief stint at West Brom ended without a goal, while a loan to Oxford United, although coinciding with the club’s relegation from the Championship, proved personally transformative for the striker. Matt Bloomfield, who took over as Oxford’s head coach in January when the team were hovering just above the bottom of the table, recalled how Lankshear arrived eager to prove himself.
"Oxford was a big step for Will. He had been on loan before and it hadn’t quite worked out," Bloomfield said. "He worked incredibly hard for us, gave everything on the pitch, and the experience rounded his game. We were often out of possession, so we focused on his positioning when we won the ball back, his hold‑up play and his ability to be a nuisance when we cleared.” Lankshear finished the season with 11 Championship goals – a respectable tally for a player with limited senior experience in a side that ultimately went down.
Chickelday praised the output, noting that scoring that many times in a struggling team is a sign of quality. Bloomfield believes the move to Middlesbrough will allow Lankshear to thrive even more.
"Middlesbrough dominate possession, which creates far more chances for a natural goal‑scorer like Will. He is obsessed with training and finding the net," Bloomfield said.
That obsession mirrors Kane’s own laser‑focused drive. Bloomfield added, "He’s a lovely lad but he has an edge – he wants to succeed.
All the top players are single‑minded and driven. Will has a massive natural instinct, but you can also see the countless hours he puts in. It’s the same with Harry Kane – they’re born goal‑scorers, but they work incredibly hard at their craft." The Oxford days highlighted Lankshear’s willingness to put in extra work. After regular training sessions, he would stay on the pitch to finish drills for hours.
"We had to push him back to the building because his legs needed recovery for the next game," Bloomfield recalled. This habit continued at Middlesbrough, where Lankshear now regularly arrives 40 minutes early for a warm‑up, completes a full hour with Chickelday, and then adds another 25‑30 minutes of conditioning after the session.
The consistency of this routine, even alongside his older brother Alex – who also scored for Gateshead that weekend – underscores his dedication. In those extra sessions, the focus is on repetition and match‑scenario practice: headers, volleys, cut‑back finishes, and a variety of shooting techniques.
Chickelday highlighted a particular goal Lankshear scored for Oxford against Sheffield Wednesday – a classic Kane‑style strike where he cut inside from the left, curled the ball into the top corner, and demonstrated his ability to finish with either foot. "He likes to drift out on the left and cut inside, but he can do anything with his right foot as well.
That unpredictability makes him dangerous," Chickelday noted. Statistically, Lankshear’s efficiency is impressive.
Among the 72 Championship players who recorded 50 or more shots last season, he ranked third for expected goals per shot. Even at Oxford, he was generating high‑quality chances thanks to his relentless work ethic. Chickelday believes his free‑kick ability is also under‑utilised, saying, "He never gets to take them, but he’s a very good free‑kick taker." He predicts a bright future, adding, "Sometimes after a session you feel something special – that’s his mentality. He wants to be the best striker in England and eventually the world.
In two years’ time I wouldn’t be surprised if he replaces Kane at the top level." While speculation about future transfers is premature – Bloomfield warned that Middlesbrough would not be pleased with such talk – he did suggest that Lankshear could be just two moves away from a £100 million valuation if his development continues on its current trajectory. For now, the focus remains on helping Boro return to the Premier League. Those who have worked closely with him are convinced that his ceiling is extremely high.
"I have absolutely no doubt about that," Bloomfield affirmed. "Will is destined for the very top."