Lankshear reaches 15 goals as Hellberg praises progress after Charlton win

Will Lankshear took his Middlesbrough goal tally to 15 in 16 appearances across all competitions with a double in the 3-0 victory over Charlton Athletic. According to BBC Sport, the result strengthened Boro's position at the top of the Championship, with head coach Kim Hellberg highlighting the striker's development beyond his finishing.

Watch the highlights:

The 21-year-old, who joined from Tottenham in the summer, has scored 13 times in 13 Championship appearances. Those returns have come despite him completing the full match in only four of Boro's 13 league fixtures. His latest two goals followed another double in the victory over Bolton Wanderers, giving him four across those two wins.

Lankshear's home record has been particularly consistent: BBC Sport reported that he has scored in all but one of his appearances at the Riverside. He has also registered two goals in four separate matches. The Charlton performance therefore extended a pattern of multiple-goal contributions during his opening months with the club, rather than providing an isolated scoring burst.

Speaking to BBC Radio Tees, Hellberg said Lankshear had arrived with strong ability inside the penalty area but had since added qualities to his defensive game. The coach credited the forward with responding to work on that part of his role and singled out a goal against Charlton that came from pressing high up the pitch.

Hellberg also praised Lankshear's daily application and said his improvement had been visible through the season. The forward represented England Under-21s last month, and his club form prompted questions about a senior call-up. Asked whether Lankshear might feature in Thomas Tuchel's thinking, Hellberg declined to make a prediction, saying his attention was on managing his own squad.

Tuchel said last month that he would not rule out selecting players whose clubs were outside the top flight, BBC Sport reported. England's squad for Nations League matches against Spain and Croatia is due on Friday. That leaves Lankshear's senior international prospects unresolved, while his latest club contribution has already helped Middlesbrough maintain their place at the Championship summit.