Middlesbrough striker Will Lankshear has said his dream is "to play in the Premier League" after an impressive start to life at the club.
The 21-year-old scored a double against Lincoln City on Saturday in a 2-1 victory, bringing his goal tally to three in his first two games since joining from Tottenham for £10 million.
Lankshear told BBC Radio Tees that the Championship is highly competitive but that he and his teammates believe they can achieve something special this season. Middlesbrough missed out in the Championship play-off final in May.
Ambition and focus
"This is the most competitive league in the world. You have what, like 15, 16 teams trying to go for it, so you know it's going to be tough," he said.
"You have to have that drive. You have to be the best. You have to come into work every single day and give it your absolute all and you want to compete with the best.
"I know my dream is to play in the Premier League one day and I know that my friends' dream is to play in the Premier League as well. But it's important not to listen to the noise and just keep on track. Keep focusing, keep coming in every single day and working hard. If you do that, you'll get rewarded."
Fan connection
Lankshear scored the stoppage-time winner against Lincoln and stood in front of the North Stand after the match, soaking up applause from supporters.
"I thought the fans were absolutely amazing," he said. "They were really loud all game and it's probably the best atmosphere I've played in. So it was really, really nice, hearing them sing my song as well. It was quite emotional really. It's not been easy as a player, growing up. This is my dream and I'm really, really happy to be here. I think I've found my people."
Before joining Middlesbrough, Lankshear scored 12 goals on loan at Oxford and had a spell at West Brom during the 2024-25 campaign.
