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Kim Hellberg sees the funny side to Will Lankshear not realising new anti time-wasting law

Kim Hellberg sees the funny side to Will Lankshear not realising the new anti time-wasting law in Middlesbrough’s win over Wrexham.

Middlesbrough were forced to play with ten men for one minute after Lankshear took too long to exit the pitch.

A change to the laws of the game for the 2026/27 season – “To minimise delays and ensure the game resumes quickly, players being substituted will be expected to leave the field within 10 seconds of the substitution signal being given.

“Where a player exceeds the 10-second limit, the substitution cannot be cancelled and the substitute cannot be changed. However, the substitute will only be permitted to enter at the first stoppage after one minute has elapsed.”

The commentator is heard saying: “So Fin Cartwright will have to wait for a minute, and then after that, the first break in play to come on, because Will Lankshear didn’t leave the pitch inside the designated 10 seconds.”

Will Lankshear said after the final whistle to Hellberg: “I didn’t know!”

To which Kim Hellberg replied: “Don’t say that you didn’t know, then I get s***!”

The game itself saw Middlesbrough progress through to the Second Round of the Carabao Cup, Lankshear with a stunning strike on the 61st minute.

Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg said to the media after the game: “He (Lankshear) was very impressive, and the most impressive thing has been seeing how well he has worked on the training ground. How hard he works on the training ground and how much he wants to learn.

“It’s a joy to watch, and when you add the person he is to the quality he has as a footballer on the pitch, you have a very good striker. I’m happy to have him here.

Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson said: “I thought we had enough half-chances, particularly in the first half, to have progressed in the competition. The game really separated from one quality finish from their lad. We had some good build-up play, but just didn’t quite have that clinical edge.

“It was a big ask in terms of coming back from America on Monday, and you’ve got to give the lads credit for going close. There were a lot of positives in the performance.”

Lankshear spoke with Sky Sports. The interviewer said: “We saw last season at Oxford how much you care. We saw the goals that you scored as well. You were in demand, we know that. So why Middlesbrough?”

Lankshear replied: ‘It’s a massive club. Look at everyone, listen to the fans. think it’s such a brilliant club to be involved in. There’s such great footballers here and there have been. There’s a real clear pathway here.

“I really want to do something special here. think it’s such a beautiful club and it’s a great place. I’m really, really comfortable. I’m really, really excited for this year.”

He said to the club’s media: “As a striker it’s always what you want to get off the mark for this special club and I’m really, really proud tonight that I did that.

“It’s such a great place to be, I’m really, really happy to be here. The atmosphere was so, great and everyone was really, really loud. It’s going to be a special first game of the season, so can’t wait to go again really and get a taste of this more.”

On the chances to get on the score sheet even before he did: “Yeah, I am. I like to say the positives out of it. I got one tonight but as the season goes on I think it’s important to score when you can. I am little bit gutted that I didn’t take those but I think the positives is that got in the right positions and as I get more games in and more sharpness I think I’m only going to get better and more sharp in front of goal. Yeah, I took my one quite nicely, I thought.”

On the goal: “Yeah, as I said just then for Sky, I think I’ve got to give a lot of appreciation to Jeremy and Seb. I thought Jeremy was dynamite, to be fair, and he’s putting in some lovely crosses, and he did. He found Seb at the back stick. I thought it was a really, really intelligent pass to play that one back and yeah, it just shows how good of a player Seb is and how exciting he can be. And I’m just grateful to be on the end of it and get that half a yard, which I was hoping for the most of the night, but yeah, it was tough.”

On the fans and the song for him: “It means everything. You know, I said it really feels like home already and the fans were so good, and you know every single time I step onto the pitch I want to make make the fans happy and work my absolute hardest and yeah make them happy so it’s gonna be a really really exciting year you know I want to give them something to cheer about I think that’s always important and yeah I think it’s gonna be a really exciting year.”

Wrexham’s Phil Parkinson said to the club’s media: “I feel we’ve had enough chances tonight to have gone through, you know, particularly in the first half.

“We’ve got some great positions, couple of really good crosses flashing across the six yard box. Then we’ve had that brilliant bit of play from Broady and the keepers made a good save from Sam, but as in any game of football, you know, when those moments come, you know, we’ve got to be clinical and take them.

“And even in the second period, we had periods in the game in and around the box where we couldn’t find the moment and the game was separated on a kind of a deep cross which almost felt as if it was going out of play. The lads kept it alive and and one quality finish from the new signing and and that was the story of the game really.

“At times we sunk a bit second half, but I think there was a little bit of fatigue in the in the lads and that’s understandable. I thought there was lots of good play as well and you know we move on now to to a good week uh game on Monday against Wigan and a good week training building up to the first league game.”

See more of what he had to say in the interview below…

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