It's hard to view a 24-year-old as a player who can take you down memory lane but it does feel like some time since Todd Cantwell burst on to the scene.
His star was soaring at Norwich, however, consecutive underwhelming season with his boyhood club, and a loan stint at Bournemouth, has put Cantwell in a now-or-never moment. He desperately needs a new challenge and Rangers could be the team to give it to him. If confidence is an issue for Cantwell then hearing Michael Beale extol his virtues at the weekend will likely have been a much-needed pick-me-up.
But is he Ibrox bound? Time will tell on that one but he’s certainly attracting admiring glances from down Edmiston Drive way. Record Sport has run the rule on the player he was, currently is and could become at his next club as he gets set to say goodbye to Norwich in the coming days, weeks or months.
What does Cantwell do well?
The Englishman has often looked like a player who wasn't reared in the British style of football. Languid, unflustered and measured are often traits more associated with players from Spain and Portugal. And that breezy approach made him an instant hit at Carrow Road after graduating from the first team. He often played on the left side for Norwich - 72 per cent of his last 50 appearances have come in that role – but also has experience in playing behind the striker and from the right. Cantwell is naturally right-footed and enjoys working from the left while drifting in-field.
Beale has stressed the importance of adding bonafide first-team starts and there is no doubt Cantwell, on top form, can be that. There are similarities between both Cantwell and former Rangers star Joe Aribo in terms of taking the ball for a spin. In Cantwell's revered 2019/20 Premier League campaign he notched up an impressive 3.4 dribbles per game – in the top 3 outside wingers – and that chimes with Aribo's 4.4 under the guidance of Beale and former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard. The pockets of space between the opposition's midfield and defence is where the Nigeria international feasted upon and you can see a clear path to first-team minutes for Cantwell if he fills a similar role
He is no slouch when it comes to dispossessing the opposition either. He has averaged around 2.4 per games started which puts him above average for non-designated defensive midfielders. He's no enforcer, and Beale likely wouldn't want him to be, but Cantwell is competitive enough to get by in the engine room which would allow another space for a pure playmaker beyond him.
The words that matter
Allow us to exit the tactics hub, just for a moment, but one remark from Beale when he addressed Cantwell encapsulates both the player's current status and why he is such a tempting transfer option for a club like Rangers. The 42-year-old, speaking after the win at Tannadice, said: "Todd [Cantwell] was an excellent player when he was young and playing against my Liverpool Under 23s. I thought he would go on and have a fantastic career. He had that at the start and he is maybe just looking for a move to re-ignite it but I think he is a fantastic player at a good age."
Beale, of course, insisted he couldn't confirm or deny the link with the former England U21 international but that is a glowing reference which also has a sense of reality attached. Cantwell is a player the Rangers boss admires but readily admits a different career trajectory for a player who appeared a bonafide Premier League star only three years ago.
Where he can improve
His numbers have markedly dropped in recent seasons and it almost appears a battle with himself to reproduce the heady mix of sharp feet and an eye for goal. A quick case study, his exciting breakout season in the Premier League shows a player capable of breaking the lines and scoring goals. Take his last full campaign – a fairer metric as over a calendar year – and it shows a player where you can argue the devilment has gone. His crossing stats are up but onlookers at Carrow Road have lamented a player who has, perhaps, become too safe. That includes six months on the south coast with Bournemouth as he secured promotion to the English Premier League before returning to his parent club.
| 19/20 Premier League | 21/22 EPL/Championship |
| Goals - 7 | Goals - 0 |
| Shots - 1.5 per game | Shots - 0.75 per game |
| Dibbles - 3.4 per game | Dribbles - 2.4 per game |
| Interceptions - 2.3 per game | Interceptions - 1.35 per game |
Beale will fancy his chances in sparking an upturn in both Cantwell's numbers and performance level. The 42-year-old, although not directly talking about Cantwell, admits he wants hungry players itching to prove a point. Few would better fit that description than the man who many pegged as a future top-six Premier League player only a couple of years ago.
Big-game hunter
And a return to what makes Cantwell such an intriguing prospect is his uncanny knack of affecting big games. Goals against Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea underline a player capable of magic. And that is another trait which is needed to thrive in Glasgow. Some of the most revered players to star for Rangers are those who changed the outcome of signature encounters in Europe and against rivals Celtic.
Take this goal against Arsenal three years ago (above). Cantwell keeps calms when everyone else is racing into the box. The midfielder finds a pocket of space and then weaves his magic by driving into the box with a purpose. The type of stike which had many clubs doing a double take. That is the trait Rangers must get out of him again if he arrives north of the border in the coming windows.
What next after a season to forget?
Dean Smith, before his exit, praised Cantwell's honesty over being below his best. He said last month: "Todd and I had a chat on the Thursday. I told him what I want to see from him for the rest of the season. He didn’t feel physically he was ready for the (Swansea) game and he wanted to do some extra sessions on that aspect. I agreed with him, and I love that attitude."
With six months remaining on his Norwich deal it appears time is up in Norfolk. His stats this season – five shots since August – are galling and he hasn't created an assist or scored a goal since a draw with Barnsley in 2021. Those are truly sobering numbers, of course, but the major caveat is this is a 24-year-old who has lost his way and proven adept at affecting games at the highest level. It’s worth remembering he has scored against the EPL’s biggest hitters.
