The inside story of Will Lankshear’s remarkable Middlesbrough start – ‘We needed him’

Will Lankshear has made an exceptional start to his Middlesbrough career, scoring eight goals in his first 11 appearances across all competitions. Teammates including Callum Brittain, Riley McGree, Jeremy Sarmiento, and Luke Ayling praised the 21-year-old striker's clinical penalty-box instincts and work ethic. Head coach Kim Hellberg prioritized signing a natural goalscorer in the summer transfer window after the team struggled with finishing chances during the previous Championship campaign.

Middlesbrough signed Lankshear from Tottenham Hotspur for an initial £8 million fee that could potentially rise to £20 million. Head of football Kieran Scott revealed the forward turned down more lucrative financial offers from clubs competing in European competitions to join Boro. Remarkably, all eight of Lankshear's goals for Middlesbrough have been first-touch finishes, and he also scored on his debut for the England under-21 national team.