Todd Cantwell has candidly discussed his transition from Rangers to Blackburn Rovers, revealing that his move was motivated by a desire to escape the intense scrutiny at Ibrox.
The 26-year-old midfielder departed Rangers on transfer deadline day, having been sidelined for the entire season thus far after requesting a move over the summer.
Cantwell’s stint at Rangers, which began in January 2023, yielded 14 goals in 64 appearances. Despite the productive spell, the decision to move on was driven by personal and professional considerations.
“I think there’s a misconception with how my time was at Rangers, it’s been twisted,” Cantwell told BBC Radio Lancashire.
“I wasn’t a bad performer, and I certainly didn’t leave because I was being kicked out of the door. It felt like the right time to move on, but it wasn’t anything personal.”
He added, “They stated that it was important for me to stay, and I loved the club so much, so it was a very difficult decision to make. Walking out at Ibrox is something I’ll never forget, but it was the right thing for me and my career.”
Cantwell reflected on the challenges he faced, noting that he felt misunderstood and mistreated.
“As a player and a person, you have to take a little bit of responsibility for things not going the way you would have planned. [But] I think I’ve been mistreated a little bit and misunderstood. It’s disappointing when certain people, in the same building, have a different opinion and value of you.”
The former England Under-21 international also spoke about the complexities of football politics and how they impacted his career decisions.
“When you’re growing up, you don’t realise there’s a lot of politics in football. There’s situations and periods of my career where I think I’ve been mismanaged and misadvised maybe as well.”
Cantwell expressed frustration over being unable to influence his career trajectory at Norwich City.
“Ultimately you look back on decisions that were made about you moving clubs at certain points, that you never had any say in. At 21, there was a lot of speculation and offers, but I didn’t have the opportunity to say yes or no, because [Norwich City] didn’t want to sell me.”
Now, Cantwell embarks on a new chapter with Blackburn Rovers, having signed a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee. His return to the Championship represents a fresh start.
“I see Blackburn as a massive opportunity for me to get back to England and out of the goldfish bowl a little bit,” he said.
“It’s a very respectable league, and I’ve had a lot of success in it. When I spoke to the manager and now I’ve been here a few days, you can see we are serious contenders this season.”
Cantwell acknowledged the importance of integrating into Blackburn’s squad and adapting to the demands of the Championship.
“I think the management here will be important with how I integrate back into consistent games. We know what the Championship is like, and we need to be sensible with not trying to do too much too early, but I’m desperate to play.”