Todd Cantwell could have become a Rangers great and proved those who have doubted his ability to make it to the top of the game.
His first few months after being presented at Ibrox suggested that he could lead Michael Beale’s squad to success only for his time in Glasgow to end with the 26-year old training on his own at Auchenhowie.
Philippe Clement always wanted more from his star man as he nears a £600,000 move to Blackburn Rovers with Rangers not quite pocketing the full amount, according to Football Scotland.
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Rangers to write Norwich City a cheque for Todd Cantwell deal
With varying reports as to the original fee Rangers paid Norwich City – Beale claiming Cantwell arrived on a free transfer – there has either been a small profit or small loss made on the playmaker.
However much Blackburn are paying, a small percentage is heading to Carrow Road with Football Scotland claiming that the deal is more than the £600,000 that was originally reported but doesn’t quite make £1m.
A far cry from February in 2020 when David Ornstein made Liverpool favourites to sign Cantwell from Norwich for £30m.
The Canaries will be lucky to be making £30,000.
At the peak of his Premier League powers, the future seemed bright for Cantwell with Norwich legend Darren Huckerby revealing why the Gers number 13 struggled when he was younger, as told to The Athletic:
“He was always the most gifted but needed more work mentally than the others. He would admit it himself he could get intimidated by other players, and it’s great to see where he is now, because five years ago you might have said it would be touch and go.
Cantwell’s former youth coach Gary Cockady was equally as impressed when recalling a story about being given rough treatment by opposition players:
“Todd looked at one of them in the eye, put his toe under the ball, flicked it back over his head, turned and he was gone. All without looking at the ball.
“He did things every week that were just special. It was God-given. No one taught it. I always believed if you had someone like that, don’t change them or make them conform.”
Unfortunately, it looks like Cantwell’s inability to conform that has seen him go from being linked to Liverpool, Aston Villan and Bayern Munich to agreeing terms with a Championship struggler.
Rangers fans saw flashes of his talent and moments of magic, however, at a club blessed to have seen the likes of Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup, once every four or five games isn’t enough.
