Todd Cantwell's first Rangers press conference in full

Do you have any idea what you’ve let yourself in for?

Yeah, I think I’m aware of what I’ve signed up for. It’s a massive club with massive responsibility but for where I was looking to move forward I think it’s a perfect fit.

Was that because you want to win things and play in Europe?

Exactly that. I think I said yesterday, I’ve always been someone who wants to win and that’s embedded in Rangers. To win games and that’s something I’ve accepted as a challenge. The European opportunity is fantastic, every player wants to play in those competitions so yeah, I’m just looking forward to getting going.

Have you spoken to ex-teammates who have played up here?

Everyone is very happy for me, my friends and players I’ve played with have said their piece on it but really I believe in your own experience and going in there with a fresh, open mindset. Don’t be tarnished by others' experiences because in life everything for everyone can be different, right?

What’s your perception of Scottish football?

I know exactly where Rangers fit into it, right at the top. I know that there is big games, big rivalries. For me, I’ve been in England my whole career so far aside from a brief spell away. It’s going to be different but I like to think I’m quite adaptable.

Why was now the right time to move away from Norwich?

To be honest sometimes in football and life, you need a fresh start and scenery. Norwich was the club I came through at, I hold the club close to my heart and it was very difficult. But as a footballer you have a short career, I don’t want to look back with regrets. When I spoke to Ross and the manager It was pretty clear that this was the right move for me.

What vision did they lay out for you?

For me, it was getting back to playing and enjoying my football. I lost a bit of touch with that and they sense that’s important to get the best version of me. When I spoke to the manager he went into incredible depth in our first conversation, which really opened my eyes to what I was potentially signing up to.

READ MORE: Todd Cantwell's Rangers transfer: Trusting Beale and powerful Ibrox

Was that clarity important?

As a player, you want that. You don’t want to come up as a winger and end up as a left-back. He’s been clear with what he wants. Every manager wants a player who works hard and that’s the bottom line.

How important was that conversation with the manager?

It was the most important. I think for me and my career having a manager that believes in me and a project where the manager is building something was really important for me. At some clubs, that’s not always outlined and clear. To come here and have that is brilliant.

How are you physically?

My fitness is good, I’m lucky because I have quite a good base fitness. Just because I haven’t played certainly doesn’t mean I haven’t been working hard. I’m not in the place I’d like to be because you can only get match fitness from playing games. I’ll take a little bit of getting up to speed but in terms of base fitness, I think I’m in a good place.

You’ve been linked with some big clubs in the past?

Things in the past have always hovered over my head. I take great pride in what it is I have achieved and the teams I was linked with. At the moment it’s important to look to the future.

Can you thrive under the pressure?

I’ve only played away from homes at venues like Ibrox which hold that sort of fanbase. To have it on my own side and behind me I think will be really powerful.

What do you want to achieve here?

The important thing is lifting silverware, this club comes with responsibility. This is a massive opportunity to win trophies and in football, that’s not always easy.

READ MORE: What Todd Cantwell will bring to Rangers - Joshua Barrie

Is this a reset for you in your career?

Yeah, it is. I think I’ve got to take what I’ve done and take that experience with me. You’ve got to leave some of the scars behind because you can’t move forward if you don’t allow yourself to. For me, I’ve learnt a lot. I think I’ve got quite a good catalogue of experience really in terms of good and bad over the last couple of years and I think that’ll shape me into the player I wanted to be viewed at now and in the years to come.

How would you sum up your game?

I’d sum up my game as someone who’s very passionate, someone who cares a lot about the result at the end. I’m not obsessed with who scores the goals or who sets them up which might sound strange as an attacking player. For me, genuinely hand on heart the most important thing is being on the winning team so I’ll give everything I can. I think in terms of what you can expect in terms of what I actually do on the ball will be that I like to get on the ball a lot. I like to make things happen, I like to spot a pass that maybe other people don’t and I like to get the team going in a rhythmic way.

What was it from the conversation with the manager that made you believe he can get the best out of you?

I think, for me, the type of player I am it’s really important I play in a possession-based team. It’s really important that I play in almost a free-flowing type of attack and here that fits a lot of positions which gives me a lot of space to really go and create. In that sense, I shouldn’t have too many excuses.

Have you got a preferred position and have you had a discussion with the manager about that?

I’ve made my bread and butter playing off the wing but I think naturally I’ve always been maybe more central. I think that’s probably where I see myself playing in years to come. Luckily that’s where the manager sees it as well. I think he’s aware that I can play in multiple positions and I think the freedom and the rotation that is potentially going to happen here, I think could lead me to play in different positions.

What was the thinking behind taking the number 13?

My answer to that would be, is it unlucky for Thomas Muller? I don’t think it’s been too unlucky for him. I was number 14 at Norwich, that was for a separate reason and coming here looking at the squad list and the squad numbers I thought I’ll make a number for myself. I like to think that even the way things ended at Norwich that I left a little bit of a legacy and that’s what I’d like to do here.

How big a draw was European football?

Before I had any idea I would ever be up here I was watching them and actually supporting them. As a lad you want teams around you to do well. It was massive. I think watching that final, it was goosebumps for anyone really. You didn’t really have to be associated with Rangers at that point to understand what a massive club it was so I’m very proud to be here.

Have you analysed why it hasn’t well so well for you in the last couple of years?

As a footballer, things aren’t always going to go well for you. I think my career started in a very promising and satisfying way. I didn’t really have too many challenges come my way and then I had them all come up once. You guys are probably fully aware that things off the pitch can affect someone on the pitch just like any normal person. There have been struggles but everyone has struggles off the pitch and everyone has struggles in life. I’m not here for a sob story but I’m in a position now where I feel like I’ve got a mental strength towards a lot of things and I’ve got a chance to prove a lot of people wrong.

How big a draw was it to work with Michael Beale?

It really was massive. When I say it’s probably the biggest factor in me coming here it would be that. The manager has known me for a long time as well which was important because he knows the type of person and type of player I’ve been for the last four/five years. He knew exactly what he was getting when he signed me. He’s had a pretty short senior management time but the amount of experience along his journey and for me being on the younger side of a footballer, it’s impeccable for me to get this relationship going and I think he can really get the best out of me. Not only me but the team as well.