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Middlesbrough appear to have found their difference maker after last season issue Next-day analysis as Will Lankshear shines on his Middlesbrough debut in a 1-0 win over Wrexham Will Lankshear has been a Middlesbrough player for less than three weeks, he’s already made a huge impact. That was quite the way to mark his debut. A finish befitting of the match-winning goal it proved to be against Wrexham. The Carabao Cup may not be a huge priority for Boro this season, but in kicking their campaign off with a win, and with Lankshear getting that goal under his belt immediately, it was hard to think of a better script for Boro. They paid a lot of money to bring Lankshear to the Riverside this summer. They saw what we saw. Boro needed a goalscorer last term. The way he shaped his body and acrobatically unleashed his volley into the far bottom corner was evidence enough of the potential the 21-year-old has to thrive in Kim Hellberg’s Boro team. “The game was separated by one quality finish from the lad,” Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson admitted after. “We just didn’t quite have that clinical edge that you need in any game of football.” It’s something Boro lacked so often last term. Creating chances was not a huge problem. Putting them in the back of the net was. Having that difference maker could be massive for Boro this season, but it’s fair to say the transformation of how the team looks with Lankshear up top is about so much more than having someone who can score a goal. It’s early days, but there has already been so much to like about Lankshear’s early signs in a Boro shirt. It’s made a real difference having a focal point who they can hit to feet again, as well as a centre-forward who makes instinctive penalty area runs. Hellberg noted his overall play after too. The Boro boss said: “He did a very strong season at Oxford in a different system and different way of playing, which I think he will have learned a lot from. “You could see how active he was [against Wrexham], both offensively and defensively, which I think was a major step forward from last week [against Espanyol]. “He has been with us for around two weeks and he will just keep on improving. He wants to learn and improve, and that’s the type of player I love working with.” Lankshear is still young, of course. Still only 21, it’s only fair that we expect some peaks and troughs over the course of the campaign, and then don’t pile too much pressure on him. That said, Lankshear already looks like a very mature 21-year-old. The evident drive and desire to improve makes for encouraging signs. “I think everyone can see how good he is,” Hellberg said. “What I can say is what I see every day, which is a player that wants to do everything for his own career in terms of working as hard as he can. “He works very hard for the team and is a brilliant team-mate, which again I have been very impressed by. “He is a young person, but he is showing that type of character, coming here, working hard, wanting to learn so much. Add that to the quality he has, and I think you can expect a striker who does everything for the club to try to be successful. I love working with him. That feeling is mutual of course. Only this week Lankshear claimed to have learned as in one week being coached by Hellberg than in his entire life. ‘When you do what he says it works,’ the striker noted. Here’s hoping that it continues working. These early signs have been transformational. ------------- Get Teesside Live Premium now for just £1 HERE – exclusive Boro news and features, transfer notebooks, comment and analysis from Eric Paylor, plus an ad-lite experience Join our WhatsApp community to get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. Your information will be hidden, you'll only ever receive messages from the Teesside Live sports team, and you can leave any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'Exit group'. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.