Todd Cantwell didn’t look like an ordinary footballer when he burst on the scene at Norwich five years ago. Turns out he isn’t an ordinary footballer off the pitch either.
Unless turning up on the doorsteps of 80 underprivileged kids in his home town with presents at Christmas is classed as ‘ordinary’ these days. That’s what Rangers ’ latest signing has made a point of doing in his hometown of Dereham in Norfolk since making his breakthrough at Carrow Road and perhaps projects an understanding of what this impressive young man is all about.
His charity work was carried out unprompted and without fanfare. In fact, sitting at Ibrox yesterday, the first signing of Michael Beale ’s reign seemed rather sheepish when asked about it, before opening up articulately on this and a journey that has taken him to Scotland for the first time in his life. The attacking midfielder said. “It’s something for me that’s really simple.
“Sometimes footballers don’t really realise the power they have to influence people. That’s something I took great pride in at Norwich, being a lad who wanted to be the lad that I’ve become in many senses.
“Something like that is so powerful and moving for little kids and families going through tough times. To have someone knock on your door and give you a present like you see on TV can be what Christmas is really about.
“It’s not about what you’re given, it’s about families and being there and making people smile. It was my idea.
“I’ve always loved Christmas and it was something I thought long and hard about. And then I thought, ‘why am I thinking long and hard about it?’. It was simple. I should just go and do it. So I did.”
Cantwell asked families who wanted to be involved to put balloons in the colour of Norwich City – green and yellow – in their windows before he’d arrive on their doorstep. If he tries the same trick in Glasgow, it’s fair to say the colours will be different!
“It was just to identify who was taking part,” he said. “It was funny one time as there was one house where the balloons were up for a birthday party! So that was a bit awkward!
“I ended up handing out about 80 presents this year to houses in my local area. I get a lot of satisfaction from it. I think I’ve got a good appreciation of the position I’m in. And how quickly I couldn’t have been in the position I’m in.
“I’ve got a lot of friends who were with me in the academy who aren’t lucky enough to be professional footballers. Sometimes people forget how easy it is to influence people. If I was a kid and a Norwich player at that time knocked on my door to wish me happy Christmas and gave me a present, I’d have been the happiest kid in the world. I looked at it like that.”
Asked if he’d be doing the same in his adopted city, Cantwell laughed and said: “I don’t know, it was a lot smaller scale before! So I can’t make any promises.”
What he does promise is to do his utmost to justify Beale’s faith in him after going through a tough couple of years of being in and out of Norwich’s team. Cantwell added: “It has been difficult at times but everyone has a story for a reason.
“Through times when things don’t go so well, there are periods of self-doubt. There are moments when you question yourself and why you are in the position you are in.
“But when you have a little bit of time to reflect, you can be honest with yourself and can look at the situation with a fair understanding of what has happened and why it has happened, and be able to move forward.
“We had multiple conversations (with Beale). It was something the media got hold of quite quickly but it wasn’t something that was rushed. It was spoken about, gone through, and we all agreed it was the right thing to do. For me, the level of dedication the club showed, letting me think about things, while making it clear I was someone they wanted, was really powerful for me.”
The lure of trophies and playing in Europe was a huge factor in Cantwell’s decision to move north and he has seen plenty of his countrymen like James Tavernier, Connor Goldson and Ryan Kent flourish in an environment he knows is often scorned south of the border.
“Any player would be lying if he said he doesn’t want to play on the biggest stage, the Champions League and didn’t want to play for the biggest teams,” he said. “That’s why you set out to play.
"You want to play for the biggest clubs you can and win the most you can. There is definitely a very good changing room here.
"It’s a big thing because you can’t expect to be in a team that wins games without good team-mates. Football’s a team sport and you all need to be together.
“Seeing those guys and how well they’ve done is definitely an eye-opener for me. I know a bit about some of the lads through speaking to people I know and it sounds like a great dressing room and that’s important to do well.
“Everyone’s experiences of things are different. Someone might come to the league and say it’s horrific, they hate it and don’t want to be here. And someone could come and say it was fantastic, they loved it and it was much better than they thought.
“For me, you’ve got to take your own experiences and look at it as a fresh challenge. I’ve got a real expectation to come here and do well.”
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