Harry Kane has spoken highly of Will Lankshear's goalscoring form at Middlesbrough but stressed the young forward should be allowed to develop without external pressure. The England captain said he would welcome the chance to work with the 21-year-old if he earns a senior call-up, while making clear the decision rests with head coach Thomas Tuchel.
Lankshear's impressive season
Lankshear has scored 15 goals in 16 appearances in all competitions since joining Championship side Middlesbrough from Tottenham over the summer. His form prompted calls for a first senior England call-up, and he was in contention for the Nations League fixtures against Croatia and Spain this week, though he did not make the squad. He later withdrew from the Under-21s with a muscular injury.
Speaking at Tottenham's training ground on Wednesday, Kane acknowledged the striker's performances have been hard to ignore this season. He noted that a friend who coached Lankshear at Tottenham's younger age groups described him as a natural goalscorer.
Kane's advice for the young striker
Kane said Lankshear has a clear goalscoring instinct and is in the right place at the right time, adding that his current spell at Middlesbrough is ideal for his development. He pointed out that playing regularly and scoring goals is building the forward's confidence.
On the possibility of Lankshear joining the senior squad, Kane said: "Whether he comes into the senior side is down to Thomas. If he did, I'm sure he'd learn loads here, surrounded by the attackers that we have."
Succession planning for England
The question of who will eventually replace the 33-year-old Kane has grown in prominence, with England currently lacking depth in the striker position. Kane and 29-year-old Leeds forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin are the only out-and-out strikers in the squad.
Kane acknowledged that Tuchel will begin succession planning in the near future but urged patience with Lankshear, saying: "It's not a time to put too much pressure on him. I know there's a lot of talk about who's going to replace me when I'm not here anymore, but just let him do what he's doing." He added that if Lankshear continues on his current path, he will be in a strong position to earn his chance, and that working with him would be a positive experience for both parties.
