Todd Cantwell puts outlandish theory about ex Rangers players to the test as he escapes ‘unbreakable love story’

Todd Cantwell puts outlandish theory about ex Rangers players to the test as he escapes ‘unbreakable love story’

“The fans feed off us and we feed off them. It’s like a love story.”

 

That was the verdict of Todd Cantwell on the night he scored against Sparta Prague and helped reignite his side’s Europa League hopes last October. But his fairytale in Ibrox has turned sour over the following nine months and the final chapter is inbound as he now wants out after handing in a transfer request.

Cantwell’s penchant for bombastic social media updates has long irked a section of the Ibrox faithful with his love bombs failing to detonate after Celtic rediscovered their swagger and turbo-charged past Rangers to secure a double. But it wasn’t meant to end like this, at least in the eyes of the former Norwich playmaker who waxed lyrically about what life in Glasgow meant to him. And there’s an irony over his self-proclaimed ‘love story’, with Cantwell being hooked in the following group stage game against Aris Limassol for failing to follow key instructions laid out by Philippe Clement after being asked to work back the way while playing on the right side of the attack.

Was that the start of the end? Perhaps. Cantwell would remain a regular contributor despite not starting either of the final two league games against Celtic. It’s almost impossible to avoid scrutiny in Glasgow when you’re rewriting the local lexicon by serving up ‘shushburgers’ on social media. As daft as that was, branding a fan a ‘weapon’ on Instagram was his personal nadir.

And many Rangers fans were peeking through a facepalm when the former Norwich man claimed he was hungrier for trophies than serial Celtic winner Callum McGregor – something the Parkhead skipper could barely contain a snigger about when asked if that bold proclamation chimed with his own worldview.

 

But, maybe, Cantwell’s biggest miscalculation about how Rangers truly operates and how former players are remembered was when he opined he would be a true blue for ever last year. Yes, Cantwell may well retain a soft spot for Ibrox life after forcing his own exit but the likelihood it will be reciprocated by a fanbase who have overlooked his knack for big boasts is on the low side. Heroes to last a lifetime aren’t often created in an era when their biggest rivals have secured 12 out of 13 titles.