will lankshear finished his Oxford United loan with 12 goals in 47 matches, then left with two end-of-season awards and a message that sounded like a proper farewell. The 21-year-old Tottenham striker also posted 16 goal involvements across the campaign.
Oxford United got the goals even as the side went down with two games to go. Lankshear’s output made his second-half spell one of the more productive loan moves in the Championship, and it has put his next step at Tottenham back in focus.
Lankshear’s Oxford United return
He joined Oxford United on loan from Tottenham for the second half of the campaign and delivered quickly. Twelve goals from 47 matches is the headline number, but the wider return was 16 goal involvements, a strong tally for a player in a relegated side.
Lankshear and Jamie Donley were both at Oxford United during that stretch, but it was the striker’s finishing that carried the clearest individual recognition. He won the club’s men’s Golden Boot award and Young Player of the Year award at the end of the season.
Matt Bloomfield on Lankshear
Matt Bloomfield was blunt about what he saw. “His finishing, dedication to his craft and single-minded desire to be the best he can be, I think he’s a credit to himself,” he said.
Bloomfield added, “There’s so much to admire about him, and he’s going to go to the top.” That assessment fits the numbers Lankshear put up in the Championship, where he kept scoring even as Oxford United were relegated with two games to go.
His message after Oxford
After the season ended, Lankshear posted a farewell that matched the tone of his loan spell. “Although it wasn’t the end we all wanted I’d like to thank all the staff, players and fans @oufcofficial you made my time here an unforgettable one. I wish everyone the very best in there futures and I will always keep an eye out for Oxford United in the future. Once a yellow always a yellow Keep fighting,” he wrote.
He also said, “Once a yellow always a yellow Keep fighting,” a line that underlined how completely he bought into the club during a spell that ended with personal success and team disappointment. For Tottenham, the next question is how that form carries into the summer, after a loan that gave the 21-year-old a clear case for a bigger role.
