Will Lankshear names four Tottenham legends he wants to emulate ahead of Oxford United loan
Will Lankshear has spoken about what he has learned from watching the many great Tottenham centre-forwards over the Premier League era and about how he has matured over the last 12 months.
The 20-year-old striker scored the first goal of the Thomas Frank era, albeit in a friendly, heading in at the back post in the win over Reading after a knock-on from Luka Vuskovic.
Lankshear travelled with the Spurs squad on their pre-season tour to Asia, which suggests that Thomas Frank and his coaching staff like what they have seen of the youngster so far.
In fact, according to reports, Frank even tried to lure Lankshear to Brentford in the past, and the centre-forward will be hoping that he can become a fixture in the Spurs first-team over the coming years.
Will Lankshear reveals which former Tottenham strikers he loved watching
Lankshear only joined the Spurs academy in 2022 from Sheffield United, but he grew up supporting the North London club.
The youngster admits that he is inspired by the many world-class strikers who have graced the White Hart Lane pitch over the last few decades.
When asked about trying to follow in the footsteps of some great number nines at Tottenham, Will Lankshear told Football.London: “I love Harry Kane and the way he plays. He scores so many goals, and to do that at the highest level is pretty unreal.
“Defoe, I worked with him in the academy, and I love him. He is one of the most underrated forwards the Premier League has ever had. So sharp. He taught me so many things. The quick finishing, no back-lift.
“He was amazing for me, and he is a good guy as well. He really took care of the young lads. Gave good advice. I really like him. Robbie Keane and Berbatov were fantastic forwards.
“I try to get things from all of them, but also implement myself. I want to be my own player. I think that’s important for young players. We want to be ourselves. Who knows, if you can implement the characteristics from all the other forwards, you might be a good one yourself.”
Lankshear admits tough loan spell at West Brom was a learning experience
Lankshear’s time at the Hawthorns did not go to plan during the second half of the last season, with the striker failing to find the back of the net in 11 appearances for the Championship side.
However, the youngster insisted that he learned a lot from the experience and believes that he is a better player now than he was six months ago. Lankshear has now joined Oxford United on loan for the 2025/26 season as he looks to give the Championship another go.
When asked about his loan spell with the Baggies, the Tottenham man said: “There were lots of positives and some negatives last season, but I learned so much. The player I am now is the player I was last year, and before all of that, I feel like I have come on so much.
“It’s all about learning at that age. I’ve learned lots, and I have grown as a player and a person. I feel so much better now than I did last year,” said the striker.
“[The loan] was massive for me and my development. Even though the goals didn’t come, I had some really good games. I learned loads. The managers, what they would like, different systems. I loved it. They really treated me well. I really enjoyed it.”
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