Will Lankshear became the first player to be punished under a new English Football League (EFL) rule this season, just days after completing a £20m move to Middlesbrough. The former Tottenham Hotspur striker was penalised during Boro's Carabao Cup first-round match against Wrexham on Friday night.
The 21-year-old scored the only goal of the game as Middlesbrough secured a 1-0 victory at the Riverside Stadium, booking their place in the second round. However, his evening ended on a bizarre note when he was substituted in the closing minutes.
New EFL rule targets time-wasting
Boro boss Kim Hellberg replaced Lankshear with Fin Cartwright, and the striker applauded home fans as he left the pitch. His exit was deemed to have taken longer than the 10 seconds now allowed under EFL rules introduced this season to curb time-wasting.
As a result, Cartwright was forced to wait on the touchline for a full minute before being allowed to enter the field of play.
Lankshear's move and debut
Lankshear joined Middlesbrough last month on a permanent deal worth around £10m, plus a further £10m in add-ons. He spent last season on loan at Oxford United and is now aiming to help the Teesside club push for promotion.
Hellberg praised Lankshear after his debut, saying via Teesside Live: "He did a very strong season at Oxford in a different system and different way of playing, which I think he will have learned a lot from."
"You could see how active he was [against Wrexham], both offensively and defensively, which I think was a major step forward from last week [against Espanyol]. He has been with us for around two weeks and he will just keep on improving. He wants to learn and improve, and that’s the type of player I love working with."
