Will Lankshear’s impressive scoring run has raised questions about a possible England call-up, although Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg says he is leaving that decision to others.
Lankshear scored twice in Middlesbrough’s 3-0 victory over Charlton Athletic, taking his total to 15 goals in 16 appearances in all competitions. The result also strengthened Boro’s position at the top of the Championship.
The 21-year-old has scored 13 times in 13 Championship matches since joining Middlesbrough from Tottenham in the summer. His form has attracted wider attention, particularly after England manager Thomas Tuchel said last month that he would not rule out selecting players whose clubs are outside the top flight.
Asked whether Lankshear could be included in England’s squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Spain and Croatia, Hellberg said he had no idea. The Middlesbrough coach explained that his focus was on managing his own squad and praised the effort of his players.
Lankshear has scored in all but one of his appearances at the Riverside and has recorded two goals in four separate matches. Since the end of the September international break, he has scored seven times in five games, including four in Middlesbrough’s last two victories against Bolton Wanderers and Charlton.
His tally is also higher than that of England captain Harry Kane, who has scored 12 goals in 14 matches for Bayern Munich and the national team. Lankshear was part of England’s Under-21 squad last month.
Hellberg believes the forward has already developed since arriving in Teesside. He said Lankshear was initially particularly effective in the penalty area, but had also improved his defensive work and pressing.
The coach highlighted Lankshear’s goal against Charlton as an example of that progress, describing him as a “brilliant lad” and saying he was very pleased with the striker’s development.
Sources: BBC Sport Football.