Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg insists he has far too many team matters to manage to concern himself with whether Will Lankshear receives a surprise England call-up. The 21-year-old striker scored two goals in Boro's 3-0 victory against Charlton Athletic, ensuring the club consolidated their position at the top of the Championship and taking his personal total to 15 goals in 16 appearances in all competitions.
Lankshear's exceptional return comes after his summer switch from Tottenham, having already notched 13 goals in 13 Championship matches despite only playing the entire match in four of those 13 fixtures. His scoring rate even eclipses England captain and Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane, who has recorded 12 goals in 14 games across his duties for Bayern Munich and the national side. By comparison, Chelsea attacking midfielder Morgan Rogers is the Premier League's top English scorer with five goals, while Leeds United forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin leads all top-flight English strikers with four.
Speculation regarding a senior summons has heightened ahead of Friday, when England head coach Thomas Tuchel names his squad for Nations League matches with Spain and Croatia later in the month. Tuchel previously noted last month that he would not rule out selecting individuals playing outside the top flight, and Lankshear was involved with the England Under-21 squad last month. However, when quizzed on whether the forward is in Tuchel's thoughts, Hellberg said he had "no clue" and preferred to focus on the "ins and outs" of his own hardworking group.
Hellberg has instead focused on Lankshear's rapid tactical progress, noting that the young forward has improved significantly since arriving on Teesside. Lankshear has scored in all but one match at the Riverside, netting braces in four separate fixtures and scoring seven goals in five games since the September international break concluded—including four across back-to-back wins over Bolton Wanderers and Charlton. Speaking to BBC Radio Tees, the Swedish boss called him a "brilliant lad" and "fantastic," commending how he has complemented his lethal finishing inside the 18-yard box by pressing high to win the ball and score.