England's long-term striker position has been a problematic discussion for years, but Michael Owen believes Will Lankshear can be the one to end the discussion.

The young striker has been impressive for Middlesbrough in the Championship, leading Owen to suggest him as the long-term replacement for Harry Kane.

The legendary former Three Lions frontman issued a strong recommendation to coach Thomas Tuchel to consider the 21-year-old who has scored more goals than Kane himself this term.

England have a dearth of young strikers at the highest level, leaving the country with a limited pool of options for the national team.

What Did Michael Owen Say About Will Lankshear?

Former Ballon d'Or winner Michael Owen spoke exclusively with TEAMTalk about Lankshear, pointing out that he has to be an option at this point.

He argued that the general lack of strikers means that the national team selectors must look at players like him that have shown some form of potential and consider them for the Three Lions.

“You have to consider him and look at any striker like that.

“I think there is a dearth of strikers; we know the game has changed. We don’t see two strikers anymore, and squads are not really carrying four or five strikers like they used to, so it is inevitable we have that dearth of strikers.

“So anyone who shows that bit of potential like him, our eyes have got to be drawn toward him and have a look at them,” he concluded.

Owen correctly pointed out that modern tactical trends—specifically the decline of traditional two-striker setups—have severely thinned out England's central forward depth behind Kane.

In the Premier League, there are only a handful of strikers who can be considered for the national team, and most of them are well past their prime.

In terms of young strikers, Nottingham Forest star Liam Delap is the only one currently in the league who looks like he can play his way into the England set-up.

From Spurs Training to Boro Breakthrough: Who is Will Lankshear?

Will Lankshear began his youth journey at Arsenal before leaving for Sheffield United in 2021, signing a scholarship deal with the Blades after he was released by the Gunners.

He spent just a year with Sheffield United, scoring 38 goals in 48 appearances across multiple age groups.

He left to join Tottenham Hotspur in 2022, with the north London side agreeing to pay around £2.5 million for his signature.

He progressed steadily at Spurs, making his senior debut for the club in their UEFA Europa League meeting with Ferencvaros in October 2024.

There, he trained regularly with England captain Kane during the latter's time at the club, subtly shaping his understanding of penalty-box movement for a striker and professional habits.

Lankshear spent time at West Bromwich Albion and Oxford United on loan, and decided to leave North London in search of permanent first-team stability rather than temporary loans this summer.

Middlesbrough decided to pay a fee that could rise to a £20 million, a record outlay for the English side.

The youngster has quickly become the focal point of Kim Hellberg's promotion-chasing Boro side, scoring eight goals in ten games so far. He is the stand-out young English focal point currently operating in domestic football.

Who Are Thomas Tuchel's Trusted Options?

For Thomas Tuchel, Kane is the undisputed starter, as he has been for more than a decade now.

The challenge begins when they look beyond Ollie Watkins as a trusted back-up for the Bayern Munich man.

The Al-Hilal man is 30 years old, as is Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney, who was the third striker at the FIFA World Cup this summer.

An outside choice is Leeds United striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has started the 2026-27 season in fine form.

Outside of the quartet, the pool is quite small, with the likes of Tammy Abraham and Eddie Nketiah failing to perform regularly to warrant invitations to the national team.

Tuchel has two years left on his contract with England, affording him ample time to find a heir to Kane. The likes of Lankshear and Delap will certainly be in the sights of the German tactician as he plans for Euro 2028.