Hellberg deflects England talk as Lankshear's goals lift Middlesbrough
Will Lankshear's brace in Middlesbrough's 3-0 win over Charlton took his season tally to 15 in 16 games, but head coach Kim Hellberg says others can worry about a possible England call-up.
Will Lankshear scored twice in Middlesbrough's 3-0 victory over Charlton Athletic, taking his tally for the season to 15 goals in 16 games in all competitions as the club consolidated its position at the top of the Championship. The 21-year-old has now struck 13 times in as many league appearances since joining from Tottenham in the summer.
Lankshear's form has drawn wider attention, and last month England head coach Thomas Tuchel said he would never rule out selecting players who are not playing in the top flight with their clubs. That has fuelled speculation that Lankshear could be named in the squad on Friday for the Nations League fixtures against Spain and Croatia later this month.
Asked about that possibility, Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg declined to speculate. He said he had no clue and had enough to consider regarding his own squad's comings and goings, adding that he would let other people worry about the England question.
Hellberg was far more forthcoming about the player himself, calling Lankshear fantastic and noting his consistency in training. He said the forward was already outstanding in the penalty area when he arrived and has since added defensive qualities the staff worked on with him, and he was pleased to see him score against Charlton from a high press.
The article notes that Lankshear has scored in all but one of his appearances at the Riverside and has registered two goals in four different matches. Since the September international break he has scored seven times in five games, including four in his last two outings against Bolton Wanderers and Charlton.
The piece also places his output in a wider context, noting that Morgan Rogers is the leading English scorer in the Premier League with five and Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the top English striker with four. It adds that Lankshear has more goals this season than England captain Harry Kane, who has 12 in 14 games for Bayern Munich and the national team. Lankshear was part of the England Under-21 side last month.
Image: Shutterstock / BBC Sport
