Tottenham Hotspur are pushing toward a successful end to their first season under Ange Postecoglou's management, having overcome many obstacles to restore confidence in their ability to qualify for Europe.
There have been highs and lows throughout a tumultuous campaign, but having overcome injury problems and a pre-festive period slump in form, Spurs have improved to sit in fifth place in the Premier League after 25 matches, five points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa but with a game in hand.
The dismissal of Mauricio Pochettino back in 2019 was the end of an era that has yet to find a successful next chapter, though Postecoglou could take his tenure to exciting heights and this starts with the return to continental competition, preferably the Champions League.
The current campaign has been punctuated with inconsistency but this is only natural after so much change stemming from the back of the dismal 2022/23 season, and while Tottenham have strengthened across multiple positions, Postecoglou would be wise to remember that he boasts one of Europe's finest academies around.
Spurs' best academy players
Tottenham's first-team is filled with talented players and the youth group is just as capacious, with Wayne Burnett's development outfit boasting some of the finest and widest-spreading talents in the Premier League 2.
Tottenham's teenage system has undergone something of a revolution across recent years and there is now a palpable sense that erstwhile graduates such as Harry Kane might now be followed by a cascade of thrilling talent.
Convinced? If not, Spurs' U21s actually perch in first place in the Premier League 2, undefeated after 12 matches with a four-point advantage over second-placed West Ham United despite holding two fixtures in hand.
There are many reasons behind the club's rise, but shrewd, focused recruitment has been the basis of the progress; that and a nicely shaped structure braided from top to bottom.
In defence, Alfie Dorrington has caught the eye with his promising performances, spending ten Premier League matches on the bench this season amid an injury crisis throughout November and December.
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In midfield, Rio Kyerematen and George Abbott carry much potential, while Jamie Donley will fancy himself the cream of the crop after taking the plaudits with his creative quality.
Donely, aged 19, has posted six goals and 12 assists across 14 appearances at youth level this term while also featuring on four occasions for the first-team, with podcaster Chris Miller remarking that he is the "closest thing to Maddison" that Spurs possess.
The clip above shows Donley in all his creative brilliance, progressing the play into the danger area before sinking the opposing backline with a delightful threaded pass.
But who was it that latched onto that ball, weaving through the defence and sending a defence spiralling onto the canvas with a deft switch of feet? That's quality. That's talent.
It was Will Lankshear, only 18 years old but blessed with an innate striking ability that has been married into his workrate and unbridled ambition to hand Postecoglou the makings of an elite centre-forward.
Will Lankshear's season in numbers
Tottenham signed a young Lankshear from Sheffield United for a reported compensation fee of £2m in 2022, with Spurs expert Jon Wenham describing him as "an absolute unit for his age, massive, powerful."
He certainly hit the ground running, scoring four goals and supplying two assists from just five matches in the U18 Premier League, however, he was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign last February with a knee injury in what came as a big blow following his promising beginnings.
Tottenham U21
20
13
2
Tottenham UEFA U19
2
1
0
Tottenham U18
5
4
2
Stats via Transfermarkt
This term, Lankshear has come back with a vengeance and obliterated concerns that his development had taken a detrimental hit, clinching 11 goals from as many matches in the Premier League 2, very much the clinical talisman needed to charge his side's title-chasing ambitions.
How Will Lankshear compares to Jayden Danns
Lankshear is undoubtedly one of English football's standout teenage strikers, though he's not the one stealing the headlines at present after Liverpool's Jayden Danns' stunning start to life on the major stage.
The 18-year-old Scouser made his professional debut off the bench just over one week ago as a beleaguered-looking Liverpool overcame adversity to defeat Luton Town, Danns involved in Harvey Elliott's late strike.
He would then enjoy an important cameo against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, rising highest in extra time to force Djordje Petrovic into a save.
Lifting silverware seemingly fuelled him with the fire to ascend to the next level, coming off the bench at Anfield in the FA Cup fifth round to bag an emphatic brace and hand Jurgen Klopp's injury-hit team another remarkable victory.
The rangy, imposing centre-forward very much looks the part and while Klopp was forced into promoting him to a regular matchday role over recent fixtures, he is there on merit after bagging 11 goals and four assists across the U18 Premier League and Premier League 2 respectively this season.
It's true that Danns is one of the most exciting young forwards around but it might just be that Tottenham have something even better in Lankshear, who has scored a goal per game in the Premier League 2 – a competition that Danns has only featured in four times this year – and showcased an athleticism and natural strength that will serve him well against the hulking centre-halfs at senior level.
Given that so much is on the line for Tottenham in the Premier League and early exits from both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup have consigned the club to the sole pathway of divisional football, European competition off the cards, it's unlikely that Lankshear will get much game time this season.
But, this young buck is proving himself to be one of the youth scene's finest finishers and given Danns' recent success with Liverpool, Postecoglou might be wise to take a leaf from Klopp's book.
Make no mistake, the Anfield side's academy might have the limelight right now but Tottenham have the best crop in the business, with Lankshear the formidable focal point in attack.
