Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermain Defoe believes Middlesbrough’s Will Lankshear may be Harry Kane’s long-term replacement in the England national team.

Lankshear left Spurs this summer to join Middlesbrough for an initial fee of roughly £10 million, with a further £10 million in potential add-ons, and he has generated plenty of headlines since his spectacular start at the Riverside Stadium.

Will Lankshear makes an outstanding Middlesbrough debut after a big money deal.

Lankshear spent last season on loan in the Championship with Oxford United, where he scored 12 goals in 47 appearances in all competitions. While that was insufficient to keep the U’s from relegation, his performance at the Kassam Stadium convinced Middlesbrough to pay an eight-figure fee for him this summer.

It is fair to say that Lankshear is repaying Boro’s big investment in him, since he has already eclipsed his goal total from last season, scoring 13 goals in his first 15 outings for the Teesside club.

Lankshear’s fine form continued as he scored twice in Boro’s 5-1 demolition of Bolton Wanderers at the Toughsheet Community Stadium on Friday night, first finishing off a delightful team move to score his side’s second goal in the first half before completing the rout with a 78th-minute tap in after Riley McGree set him up unselfishly.

In addition to his club success, Lankshear was called up to the England U21 squad during the recent international break, where he scored on his debut in a 4-2 victory over Kazakhstan, sparking questions about his future with the senior team.

Jermain Defoe drops audacious Will Lankshear forecast amid Middlesbrough’s phenomenal surge.

While Lankshear was making his U21 debut, Harry Kane equalled Peter Shilton’s record for the most England appearances by winning his 125th cap versus Czechia during the most recent international break, and he scored a brace in the 3-0 victory.

There is no doubt that Kane is still England’s main man, but there has been speculation in recent years about who will take his place if the 33-year-old decides to retire from international football, with Ollie Watkins, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Dominic Solanke, and Ivan Toney all appearing to be out of favour with head coach Thomas Tuchel.

Former England striker Defoe, who scored 20 goals in 57 appearances for his nation, has chimed in on the topic, citing Lankshear as one of the potential candidates to replace Kane.

When asked who could succeed Kane, Defoe replied, “I’m not sure.””I don’t think you can replace Harry; it would take years.””I believe the number nine is a dying breed.””Where have the nines gone?”Growing up, there were plenty of number nines and centre forwards to see and learn from.Young players at academies may prefer not to play as number nines due to less ball touches than in the past.”I believe the game has evolved from its previous form,

with the ball moving faster from back to front.”Children in academies often prefer to play as wingers or forwards rather than number nines.Will Lankshear, who previously played for Tottenham, is currently performing well at Middlesbrough.”I love Will, but Ollie Watkins has moved to Saudi Arabia.”There will be someone coming through, but it will take years to replace Harry because he is the complete footballer.”

Middlesbrough may have Will Lankshear worried when Jermain Defoe’s England claim emerges.

Given that they both came through Tottenham’s youth, comparisons between Lankshear and Kane are unavoidable, and while the Middlesbrough striker still needs to improve his all-round game, he is displaying the same ruthless goalscoring instincts as the Bayern Munich player.

With no apparent substitute for Kane, Lankshear could become England’s number nine at some point, but he may need to play in the Premier League to capture Tuchel’s attention in the near future.

Lankshear’s outstanding play this season is unlikely to go unnoticed, and Borough may be concerned that any January approaches from top level clubs would turn his head, especially because a move would boost his chances of being called up to the England senior squad.