Will Lankshear: The ‘Kane-esque’ striker Spurs may regret letting go

“Boro was a team that made a boatload of chances, and he knew he would be able to get on the end of them,” BBC Tees commentator Mark Drury told BBC Sport.

“But what people have been impressed with is his instinctive finishing – one touch, just being in the right place. It’s simple but not a lot of people know how to be there at the right time, to give yourself the highest percentage chance.

“He’s taller and stockier than he might look from the sidelines, and he is only 21. He seems to have the all-round package – good with both feet and in the air.”

A 6ft 2in English striker with a deadly finishing touch, who came through at Spurs before learning his trade in the Football League. Remind you of anyone?

“I can understand the comparisons with Harry Kane,” said Robinson. “He has headed down a similar career path to Harry and, physically, he has a similar stature as well.

“Like Kane, he looks like a player who is developing a little later, compared to others who are Premier League regulars before the end of their teens.

“You look at him and the career path he is on; it is a very similar one to the one Harry Kane has been on, and that is a big positive. There is no substitute for playing in the first team somewhere, regardless of what level you are playing at.”

Like Kane, Lankshear also had early career setbacks. Initially at Arsenal‘s academy, he was released and signed with Sheffield United before being picked up by Spurs for £2m when he was 17.

He also had hit-and-miss loan spells. An unremarkable stint at West Brom was followed by a more fruitful spell with Oxford.

“Harry Kane didn’t always have brilliantly successful loan spells, they are not always a marker of a player,” says Speechly.

“He didn’t do anything remarkable, but it is unfortunate as we are not scoring goals. It is painful to see.

“I don’t think we will ever get another Kane, but there are definitely similarities. He is a real poacher and has a strong work ethic. It is very Kane-esque.”