Last week, Tottenham Hotspur legend Harry Kane arrived at the Ballon d’Or gala hopeful that years of hardwork and persistence would finally pay off.
Well, it certainly did. Come the end of a lenthy ceremony, the English striker had been crowned the best player in world football, lifting high the most prestigious individual award in the game.
His record since moving to Bayern Munich is ridiculous. The England captain has scored 156 goals in 161 games and he seems to be getting better all the time.
That said, Kane is not the only striker to leave Spurs behind and thrive. Will Lankshear is now exploding elsewhere.
Why Spurs let Will Lankshear leave
After surviving relegation to the Championship by the skin of their teeth last season, the Lilywhites required a ruthless streak.
To ensure such circumstances never happened again, they spent over £300m on strengthing their squad. Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes arrived to the tune of £185m and were joined by a whole heap of Premier League-proven players.
The defence was bolstered first, before they moved onto the midfield and then concluded with the attack. Roberto De Zerbi had desires on signing Cody Gakpo and Iliman Ndiaye but actually ended up with Manchester City pair Savio and Omar Marmoush.
Amid all of that, they needed to cash in on fringe players too. One of the casualties was Lankshear.
The youngster had been afforded a few opportunities in the first-team over the years but had only actually scored one goal in six outings. He hadn’t exactly proved himself.
Thus, with Dominic Solanke standing in the way, as well as new signings on the horizon, Lankshear left in a £10m deal to Middlesbrough. He hasn’t looked back since.
How Will Lankshear has fared after leaving Spurs
This isn’t the first time Spurs have been burnt by letting one of their most promising strikers depart. Check out Troy Parrott. The Irishman left north London behind in 2024 for just £6.7m.
He departed for Dutch shores where he was electric for AZ Alkmaar, scoring 51 goals in 97 matches. A summer move to Real Betis beckoned where he has two goals in 11 matches.
Parrott hasn’t been quite as impressive out in Spain but there must be a regret on Spurs’ end with both him and Lankshear. It took Tottenham five Premier League games to finally find the net this term and they still aren’t truly firing in the final third.
Lankshear, therefore, could have helped. Now at Middlesbrough in the second tier, he has been the division’s best player by a country mile.
His record this term defies belief, scoring 15 goals in 16 matches across all competitions. He is the Championship’s top scorer with 13 in 13 and is four clear of Andri Guðjohnsen at Blackburn Rovers.
Such form has prompted talk of not just whether he could return to Spurs but also whether he is now Kane’s natural successor at international level. That would be quite something, wouldn’t it?
Spurs wonderkid is exploding like Lankshear
Tottenham have had some fine young talent in their ranks in recent years but there must be a fear that they are not providing a pathway.
For Parrott, he was never going to usurp Kane in the pecking order and he knew he needed to flee the nest. For Lankshear, despite Kane’s exit, he still felt the need to leave the English capital behind.
They had a similar problem with Luka Vuskovic who wanted to depart over the summer and they may also be facing something similar with Luca Williams-Barnett. Reports have already indicated he could leave if not granted more senior football.
So, is there a pathway to success for young players? At the moment, it’s difficult to see that there is.
That is not good news for those in the academy or for those out on loan, chiefly Oliver Irow. Currently enjoying a temporary stay with Plymouth Argyle in League One, Irow is lighting up the EFL just as Lankshear is.
His numbers are not nearly as impressive but he’s made a fine impression in Devon, netting four times in 13 games. He enjoyed a particularly rip-roaring start at Home Park, scoring three goals within his first five league appearances. His manager, Tom Cleverley, has been left in awe of his performances.
The former Manchester United midfielder said back in September: “He’s been brilliant for us; he has given us outstanding attacking output. He is really direct.”
A left winger by trade, the 20-year-old hasn’t been talked about much by supporters but continue to impress like this, and there may be a route into the first team picture back at Spurs next term.
Capable of playing right across the front line, Irow has been consistent at youth level for a number of years. Last term, the youngster scored 11 goals in 35 matches and bagged another ten in 28 the campaign prior.
At the moment, he’s on for a similar sort of season during his first year in senior football. That should more than catch the eye of De Zerbi.
