Last week, Tottenham Hotspur legend Harry Kane arrived at the Ballon d’Or, hoping that years of hard work and determination would finally pay off.
Well, of course he did. At the end of Lenthy’s ceremony, the English striker was named the best player in world football, lifting the game’s most prestigious individual award.
His record since joining Bayern Munich is ridiculous. The England captain has scored 156 goals in 161 games and is improving all the time.
However, Kane isn’t the only striker to leave Spurs behind and thrive. Will Lankshear is now exploding elsewhere.
Why did Spurs let Will Lankshear go?
After surviving last season without relegation by the skin of their teeth, the Lilies have demanded a relentless streak.
They have spent more than £300 million to strengthen their staff to ensure that this does not happen again. Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes arrived for £185m and were joined by a host of Premier League-tried players.
Before they moved into the midfield, the defense was first strengthened, and then the attack was concluded. Roberto De Zerbi wanted to sign Cody Gakpo and Iliman Ndiaye but actually ended up with Manchester City pair Savio and Omar Marmoush.
In between all this, they also had to make money for outside players. One of the dead was Lankshear.
The youngster has been given several opportunities in the first team over the years, but has managed just one goal in six appearances. He had not fully proven himself.
So with Dominic Solanke standing in front as well as new signings on the horizon, Lankshear left Middlesbrough in a £10m deal. He hasn’t looked back since.
How Will Lankshear did after leaving Spurs
This isn’t the first time Spurs have been burned by letting one of their most promising forwards leave. Check out Troy Parrott. The Irishman outbid the North Londoner in 2024 for just £6.7m.
He left for Dutch shores where he was electric for AZ Alkmaar, scoring 51 goals in 97 matches. A summer move to Real Betis saw him score twice in 11 appearances.
Parrott hasn’t been all that impressive in Spain, but Spurs must be sorry to end up with both him and Lankshear. It has taken Tottenham five games in the Premier League to finally find a clean sheet during that time and they are still not really firing in the final third.
So Lankshear could help. Now in second tier at Middlesbrough, he has been the best player in the division by a country mile.
His record defies belief with 15 goals in 16 appearances in all competitions during this period. He is the top scorer in the Championship with 13 in 13, four ahead of Andri Gudjohnsen at Blackburn Rovers.
This form has led to talk not only of his unlikely return to Spurs, but whether he is Kane’s natural successor at international level. That would be a lot, wouldn’t it?
Spurs wonderkid explodes as Lankshear
Tottenham have had some fine young talent in their ranks in recent years, but there are fears they have not provided a path.
For Parrott, he never intended to usurp Kane, and he knew he had to escape the nest. For Lankshear, despite Kane’s departure, he still felt the need to leave the English capital behind.
They had a similar problem with Luka Vuskovic, who wanted to leave in the summer, and could face something similar with Luca Williams-Barnett. Reports have already indicated he may leave if not given more top-level football.
So is there a path to success for young players? It’s hard to see that it’s there right now.
This is not good news for those in academia or those on loan, especially Oliver Irvine. Irow, who is currently enjoying a temporary spell with Plymouth Argyle in League One, has been lighting up the EFL just like Lankshear.
His numbers aren’t nearly as impressive, but he impressed in Devon, scoring four times in 13 games. He enjoyed a particularly torrid start at Home Park, scoring three goals in his first five league matches. His manager Tom Cleverley was impressed with his performances.
The former Manchester United midfielder said in September: “He’s been brilliant for us; he’s given us a great attack. He’s really direct.”
A left-winger by trade, the 20-year-old has not been talked about much by supporters but continues to impress and could be a way to get back into the first-team picture at Spurs next term.
Able to play in the front line, Irow has been consistent at youth level for several years. The youngster scored 11 goals in 35 appearances last season and another ten goals in 28 appearances before the campaign.
Currently, he is playing for a similar season in his first year of senior football. That should be more than just catching De Zerby’s attention.