Oxford United fans have sent emotional farewell messages to Tottenham Hotspur youngster Will Lankshear following his standout loan spell in South East England.
The Championship season has now come to an end, meaning a few Tottenham Hotspur stars out on loan in the second division will be heading back to north London.
One such player is Will Lankshear, who spent the last few months with Oxford United and produced a solid campaign for the Championship side.
The Spurs youngster scored 12 goals – the most for the club – in 46 appearances and will return to north London with far more experience ahead of next season.
This also marks Lankshear’s most prolific loan spell to date, following a rather disappointing stint with West Brom during the second half of last season.
Spurs youngster Will Lankshear thanked by Oxford United fans after loan spell
Taking to social media, Oxford United’s official account sent an appreciative message to the forward, thanking him for his contribution to their season despite their failure to stay in the division following a 22nd-place finish, which sees them relegated to League One.
Their statement read: “We can confirm that Will Lankshear has returned to his parent club, Tottenham Hotspur. Will made 46 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring 12 goals and earning our 2025/26 Golden Boot.
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“A fantastic addition to the squad from the moment he arrived, Will embraced everything it means to represent Oxford United. Wishing you all the very best for the future, Will! You’ll always be a Yellow.”
Not only were the club appreciative, but the fans were also quick to send their thanks while reacting to the statement on X. One fan wrote: “Thank you for everything”, while another added: “Well done Will, and thanks for all you did United and fans.” A third commented: “Even after Millwall I was still dreading this post”, while a fourth supporter labelled him a legend for his goal at Fratton Park, writing: “Scored the goal to keep you up at Fratton Park. What a legend.”
Another simply stated: “Never fall in love with a loan player…”, while one more added: “Golden boy….. Harry Kane Jr.” Another supporter wished him well by saying: “Best of luck to Will. He did a fantastic job for us and really seemed to care about the club. He deserves to have a bright future and I am sure he will.”
Tottenham could benefit from Will Lankshear’s progress
Lankshear will return to north London but remains ineligible to help Tottenham for the rest of the campaign.
Spurs could certainly do with more help in attack, given they currently have just three fully fit recognised forwards, but registration rules mean Lankshear cannot offer any assistance.
However, the youngster can begin training with the senior side under Roberto De Zerbi, giving himself a head start ahead of next season.
He will no doubt be aiming to make a strong impression during this short spell as Tottenham weighs up the next step in his development.