How Will Lankshear took slight jab at Tottenham with Middlesbrough admission
Will Lankshear clearly doesn't have any regrets about leaving Tottenham Hotspur for Middlesbrough.
The 21-year-old recently completed a transfer to Championship side Middlesbrough worth up to £20million.
Having joined Spurs from Sheffield United in the summer of 2022, the young striker went on to establish himself as one of the best young players in English academy football with the Lilywhites.
Lankshear scored 23 goals in 23 Premier League 2 appearances during the 2023-24 season, and was named as the league's Player of the Season for his efforts.
Despite being highly though of in N17, he would only make six competitive first-team appearances for the Lilywhites, scoring his only goal in the Europa League.
Now penning a five-year contract with Middlesbrough, Lankshear has just made an admission that doesn't say an awful lot for the coaching he received at Tottenham.
What has Will Lankshear said about Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg?
Middlesbrough, after narrowly missing out on promotion to the Premier League last season, are hoping to go one better in 2026-27.
Following Rob Edwards' shock departure for Wolves last season after a matter of months in charge of Boro, 38-year-old Swedish coach Kim Hellberg was appointed as the Smoggies' new gaffer.
Regarded as a very intelligent and tactical young coaching mind, Teesside has fallen in love with Hellberg, and evidently so has Lankshear.
Speaking in an interview via BBC Tees after Middlesbrough's recent pre-season friendly against Espanyol, Lankshear made a big claim about how he's found it working under Hellberg so far.
"In one week under Kim, I've learnt as much as I have in my whole life," Lankshear said.
So, to say that after spending four years with Tottenham, working under senior and academy coaches, should be rather alarming to hear if you're a Spurs fan.
But how did Lankshear get on in his Middlesbrough debut, and does it suggest he's in for a big future with Boro?
Why Lankshear almost had dream Middlesbrough debut
Having scored 11 times in a relegated Oxford United team last season, Lankshear is expected to score plenty of goals in a promotion-chasing Middlesbrough side.
Boro ended their pre-season campaign against Spanish La Liga outfit Espanyol at the Riverside last Saturday, and it ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw.
Lankshear started the match before being replaced in the second half, and whilst the box score doesn't show a goal from him, the ex-Tottenham talent did have the ball in the net.
Boro's other new signing, USA international midfielder Sebastien Berhalter, whipped in a superb first-time cross from deep on the right wing, which Lankshear got in front of his defender for and bounced a powerful header into the net from around 12 yards with just four minutes on the clock.
However, the linesman adjudged Lankshear to have been in an offside position, and his debut goal was ruled out.
Aside from that, Lankshear held the ball up very well at the top of the Boro attack, and left Middlesbrough fans coming away from that match thinking, 'he's going to score goals for us'.