Former Norwich City star Peter Grant has taken aim at Todd Cantwell and his "bad side" as the midfielder nears a move to Rangers.
Michael Beale has heaped praise on the 24-year-old who has held talks over a move to the Scottish Premiership as he looks to kickstart his career north of the border after a disappointing 12 months in the English Championship with the Canaries and on loan at Bournemouth. Reports suggest the England under 21 cap would prefer a move to Ibrox over offers on the table from English Championship sides, with boss David Wagner admitting he is free to leave Carrow Road this month.
Grant, who also managed Norwich, admits that Cantwell is a talented player but didn't hold back when listing the potential drawbacks of the midfielder. He pointed to comments from City sporting director Stuart Webber following the their relegation from the Premier League where he accused Cantwell of "sulking" on the pitch and "hoping someone takes a picture".
Former Celtic star Grant reckoned "Facebook stuff" had an influence on his career trajectory, with Cantwell linked with a £20m move to Newcastle United at one stage. He even namechecked forgotten Hibs summer signing Harry McKirdy as a potential comparison in a lengthy rant.
He told the Go Radio Football Show: "Todd is one of these kids I've known for a long time. He played with my son Raymond and James Maddison, so it was a very good side.
"Todd is one of these boys can play but my concern would be if he handle the criticism when things are not going particularly well. That was one thing I thought was his weakness at Norwich.
"He had some terrific games and worked hard for his team. You would either play him as a 10 or a wide left so he can drift in, but he is a very good footballer there is no getting away from it."
After briefly discussing the possibility of Tom Davies leaving Everton for Rangers, Grant circled back to Cantwell: "I look at the boy (Harry) McKirdy at Hibs. He comes out with this hair an everything, and I'm not saying anybody shouldn't have their own style or whatever, but I'm thinking well 'you better be able to play, son' - and he's not proven that yet. Todd went through a period like that.
"There was too much of this Facebook stuff and he had the best of gear. You know, concentrate on your football.
"This is the bad side he has probably had. If you remember, they got relegated and he sat on the park and the chief executive hammered him after it. He said something like 'I wish they had cried more during the season and we would have got better performances'.
"They are the things you think to yourself 'it's not about you, it's about how much work you put in'. He has got the talent. There is no question about the quality, it's the other parts of it.
"Because I have been down there for so long (England), coming to a Celtic or a Rangers is a completely different thing. Can you handle it daily? 24/7. "
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