Rangers star could finally reach potential at Ibrox

When Philippe Clement hooked Todd Cantwell in the first half of Rangers v Aris Limassol, almost everyone in Scottish football took notice.

In a statement about his players failing to carry out the necessary instructions, it sent a message to everyone at Rangers that it’s Clement’s way, or the highway.

And yet, come full-time the Belgian manager was the picture of calm and swatted away suggestions of a fall-out, expertly managing the post-match inquest and manoeuvring the press to his own advantage.

Since that moment, Todd Cantwell has been a player reborn with the playmaker now reaping the benefits of his hard work at Rangers and making a genuine impact on the first team.

Philippe Clement steers Todd Cantwell back on course

One of the most talented players at Ibrox, if not the most talented on his day, Todd Cantwell’s career has deviated from a pathway straight to the top of the game.

Breaking through at Norwich City, the attacking midfielder was tipped for the top of the Premier League and once even rated at £50m.

Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich also famously held talks over a move, but the hype appeared to have an adverse reaction on Todd Cantwell who wound up out of the Norwich team and moving to Rangers in January 2023.

After a bright start to his Ibrox career, the goals dried up and Todd cut a frustrated figure on the field as he struggled to exert his proper influence on football matches.

Rangers playmaker becoming matchwinner

Now, Philippe Clement is steering the player right back on course and gone are the constant distractions with Todd Cantwell cutting a focused figure in recent weeks.

Moreover the Rangers star is contributing to the squad in ways he just wasn’t in the first part of the season.

Scoring four goals in his last six Premiership matches, and five in his last eight, Todd Cantwell is returning to that player Rangers got glimpses of last season and who was once tipped for the elite level of the game.

The playmaker appears to be maturing on and off the park and Rangers could be set to reap the benefits in the coming weeks, months, and seasons.

If the Ibrox club are to be successful this campaign, then Todd is going to be central to it and the hype is certainly building around a footballer who still has plenty of time to reach the game’s summit.