It took 23 days of the January transfer window, but Michael Beale finally has his first signing as Rangers manager.

Last night it was announced that Todd Cantwell has agreed a long-term contract at Ibrox, joining from boyhood club Norwich City. He’s an exciting attacker who fits the mould of player Beale referenced earlier this window when discussing potential arrivals.

"We need people to come in that will be big players for Rangers in the next two or three years,” he said following an Old Firm draw at the start of the month.

“We only bring people in that are starters. We want people coming in to be exciting now but exciting in the future as well,” the manager added after a later 2-0 win over Dundee United.

At the outset, this feels like the exact type of transfer the new manager had in mind. Speaking to the club’s website Beale described Cantwell as a player “completely aligned” with the playing style he’s implementing in Glasgow.

For varying reasons, the attacker has endured a difficult 18 months by his own admission. After the early heights of starring for his club in the Premier League, a disappointing return to the top flight was bookended with a loan move to Bournemouth. Cantwell knew he needed new direction and Beale, alongside Ross Wilson, was able to convince him that moving north was a natural next step.

“It was a very important stage of my career, to be honest,” Cantwell told RangersTV.

“This was a very important move. Ross Wilson and the manager seemed like two very good people as well as good at what they do. The manager was very clear with me and laid out exactly what they like about me and want from me. As a player that’s all you can really ever ask for, clarity."

Playing consistently in the Premier League and starring in the Championship renders conversations about Cantwell’s ability a non-starter. Given the financial power of English clubs, Rangers need to try and find loopholes when recruiting. This deal represents one such find.

For the restraints of playing in a small TV market, they can also offer a unique package to players transitioning towards the top. Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey took the step to bigger leagues having made a European final, won trophies and played for an institution. Alongside Nathan Patterson, their transfers provide a clear pathway to football’s biggest stage.

And now in Beale, Rangers have a manager with a reputation for developing players, something that Cantwell also referenced as a key driver in his decision. 

“It’s important to have a manager who believes in you but it’s also important that you believe in them,” he added.

“Not many say that but it’s the truth. You need to be on board with everything if you want to get the best version of yourself. I feel like this manager can get that out of me and I’m really looking forward to working with him.

READ MORE: Todd Cantwell scouted - Rangers' new solution-finder with goalscoring question 

“My career hasn’t gone as I would’ve planned in the last couple of years and the guys here have seen exactly what type of person and player I am and that means a lot. To have a platform to kick on and be the player I want to be. The manager is very keen on making me a better footballer which is very important.”

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It’s one thing having the ability to play for Rangers and quite another possessing the mentality to showcase it. Beale knows this, now in his second spell at the club, and that perhaps explains why he’s prioritised meeting targets directly in his bid to secure the right personalities, not just the right players.

“I have to be excited about working with someone and the journey they are going on,” the manager said speaking earlier this month.

“I have to feel that they are someone who can come to Ibrox in front of 52,000 and really will grow and not shrink. That is the biggest question I have when I sit in front of a player – are they going to shrink at Ibrox or grow? We need growers and people who are going to come in in the next two or three years and help us win trophies and do well in Europe. That is the most important thing now.”

Cantwell chose the No.13 shirt to disprove any notion of bad luck. He’s a player who has faced accusations of arrogance during his career but always rejected that as a misinterpretation for self-confidence. That assurance in his own ability will be required in Ibrox’s often unforgiving climate.

“I’m an attacking player so I like to bring a creative spark and maybe something other players can’t do,” he added, speaking like a player happy to build up expectations. 

“This is a massive club and there is a massive responsibility when you sign for Rangers to be the player that the fans want to see.

"They want to see a player that works hard and a player that can win them games which is very important and that is something I am hoping I can bring.

“It is a massive stadium with a fantastic fan base and I am not used to that size in terms of the stadium or the fans being on my side.

“I have only played away from home in stadiums like that so to have that on my side will be really powerful.”

No transfer is a guaranteed success and, although Cantwell will have his own story to tell from the last 18 months, so will the coaches who haven’t picked him. But it’s a move the former England Under-21 international needs to make work and a deal that, although not without risk for Rangers, holds far more potential in the rewards category.

Cantwell needs a coach he can trust and a footballing environment in which he can thrive, to redirect the trajectory that was only travelling upwards in the summer of 2021.

Beale has confidence that his first signing can grow and not shrink. He needs new players to drive the club forward and Cantwell has to make up for lost time, meaning this could be the perfect match.