Herald Series

Lankshear returned to the Premier League side at the end of last season after spending the 2025/26 campaign on loan at Oxford.

During his spell, the striker grew to into a fan favourite and club hero for his increasingly impressive performances and for his likeability off the pitch.

The 21-year-old bagged 12 goals for United, winning the Men's Young Player of the Year award and the Men's Golden Boot.

After the club's final home game of the Championship season, a 4-1 win over fellow relegated outfit Sheffield Wednesday, Lankshear credited Oxford as the place where his senior career truly began.

The Spurs centre forward is set to begin pre-season in North London soon, with it unknown whether he will be a part of Roberto De Zerbi's squad this season or be sent out on loan again.

Lankshear has drawn comparisons to England and Bayern Munich superstar Harry Kane for his finishing and journey through the ranks with the Lilywhites.

In a private training session with teammate Mikey Moore, who spent last season on in Scotland with Rangers, the former Yellows favourite was wearing an Oxford United training top as he showed off his goal scoring prowess.

U's fans reacted to the footage, with one fans saying he is "forever a Yellow".

Another said Lankshear is an "Oxford legend already".

Spurs have apparently already turned down offers for the England youth international whom the club rate at a reported £20 million.

The versatile 18-year-old made his second Spurs start since a £40million transfer from Leeds in July and provided plenty of energy at right-back.

Gray featured heavily in that position for Leeds during the 2023-24 campaign and while he is a midfielder by trade, the teenager regularly popped up in the middle against Qarabag given Ange Postecoglou’s desire for inverted full-backs.

At times it allowed Qarabag space in behind, but Gray played his part in an impressive opening Europa League victory for Tottenham, who played with 10 men for 83 minutes after Radu Dragusin’s early red card.

Postecoglou has repeatedly talked up the trust he has in Gray and other youngsters in the squad, which has left the England Under-21 international feeling emboldened.

“I’m really grateful to have the manager we’ve got. I’m a big fan of him,” Gray admitted.

“I’m grateful to have him here and to learn so much off him, it’s a big opportunity for me.

“To hear stuff like that from him, it makes you trust yourself even more and have more confidence to go out there and be fearless.

“That’s what he wants from us and hopefully we can go out and do that every game we’re trusted to be in.”

Gray followed in the footsteps of grandad Frank Gray, who won the European Cup with Nottingham Forest in 1980, and great uncle Eddie Gray by featuring in Europe.

It was a proud moment for the former Leeds academy graduate, but the night could have turned ugly after Dragusin was sent off for a seventh-minute pull on Juninho as Spurs’ last man.

However, Postecoglou kept three forwards on the pitch and Brennan Johnson scored five minutes later to continue his rich vein of form with a third consecutive goal.

Pape Sarr and Dominic Solanke added further strikes after half-time in between Toral Bayramov sending a spot-kick over the crossbar in the 58th minute for Qarabag.

Gray told TNT Sports: “Yeah obviously a proud moment for me and my family. To be playing here, I am really grateful to be in this team and I am proud (to make my European debut).

“It was a tough game, especially after the first few minutes. Everyone makes mistakes and obviously Radu didn’t want to do that. We’ll all here for him.

“You try to stay calm. Things happen in football and you’ve just got to be able to get on with it and move on. That’s part of football and the challenge.

“Everyone just took it in their stride I thought and we helped each other on the pitch, which was the main thing.

“We had to change a few things obviously but overall I thought we dealt with it well. We can still move the ball quicker and loads of things we can work on but definitely good to get a result.”