Harry Kane makes Will Lankshear admission as England handed clear striker succession plan

Harry Kane says he has heard great things about the former Tottenham striker

Harry Kane admits it would be great to work with Middlesbrough and England striker Will Lankshear, but added he did not want to put pressure on the young forward.

Lankshear has been in scintillating form since leaving Kane’s former club Tottenham for Championship high-flyers Middlesbrough over the summer, scoring 15 goals in 16 games in all competitions to spark calls for him to earn his first senior England call-up.

The 21-year-old was in contention for selection for England’s Nations League fixtures against Croatia and Spain this week, but did not make the cut, before pulling out of selection for the U21s with a muscular injury.

Lankshear’s form has been hard to miss this season, and Kane says that while the decision ultimately lies with Thomas Tuchel, he believes Lankshear would learn a lot from the attackers around him if he were called up to the senior team.

“I wouldn’t say I’ve followed his whole career. Obviously, this season it’s been hard not to hear about him, and he’s done extremely well at Middlesbrough,” Kane said at Tottenham’s training ground on Wednesday. afternoon.

“I’ve spoken to a friend of mine who coached him here (Tottenham) at the younger age group and said that he’s a goal scorer. He knows how to score. He’s in the right place at the right time. He’s a great finisher.

“We talk about a striker sometimes as having that goal-scoring instinct, and I think he’s one of those players for sure. He’s still early in his development. I think what he’s doing right now is perfect for him. Playing loads of games, scoring goals, getting confidence.

“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.”

Future Harry Kane replacement? William Lankshear

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The question of who will succeed 33-year-old Kane when he eventually hangs up his boots has gathered pace over the last year, with England not having a wealth of options to cover for the Bayern forward.

Kane and 29-year-old Leeds forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin are the only out-and-out strikers in England’s squad currently, but Kane admits that while he knows Tuchel will begin succession planning for him in the near future, Lankshear should be left to develop in his own time, free from external pressure.

“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,” Kane continued.

“I think it’s great for his development. He’s doing extremely well. I’ve come across him a couple of times, just when he first signed here at Tottenham, and then again when we played him in pre-season.

“I haven’t really spent much time with him. As the time goes on, if he continues, I’m sure he’ll be on the right path to get his chance. If he does make it into the senior team, it’ll be great to work with him and try and help him develop as a player.”