Blackburn Rovers may have struck gold with shrewd Rangers FC transfer | OneFootball

Todd Cantwell has been a key man for Rovers since he joined in the summer

Blackburn Rovers have been going well in the Championship this season and their summer deal with Scottish giants Rangers is showing signs that it might well prove to be a masterstroke for John Eustace's side.

Rovers were widely tipped to struggle this term, after narrowly avoiding relegation to League One last season by three points, but they currently occupy ninth spot in the second tier, and have been in the play-off places for large parts of the first few months of this campaign.

A number of boss Eustace's summer additions have played their part in their upturn in fortunes, with the likes of Andreas Weimann and Yuki Ohashi scoring key goals, and veteran centre-back Danny Batth a mainstay at the heart of defence, but it is attacking midfielder Todd Cantwell who looks to have been a real key addition to the team this season.

Cantwell is no stranger to the Championship after emerging from Norwich City's academy to play in their senior side for five seasons prior to a January 2023 move to Rangers, but he was allowed to leave Ibrox in the summer to join Rovers on a three-year deal.

The 26-year-old looks to be rejuvenated at Ewood Park after a tough end to his time in Scotland, and he could prove to be a real inspired signing by Rovers if he continues to impress throughout the rest of the campaign.

Todd Cantwell has experience of being a top player in numerous leagues

Cantwell's great first impressions at Rovers should come as little surprise, as while he may have lost his way somewhat at Rangers, he was once a standout in the second-tier and Premier League with Norwich, and still clearly has the ability to be a key player in the Championship.

He fully broke into the senior side at his boyhood club in the 2018/19 campaign, as he played his part in Daniel Farke's promotion-winning squad, but then came into his own in the top-flight in 2019/20, despite the Canaries' immediate relegation back to the Championship.

Cantwell bagged six times in 37 Premier League appearances that year, and then registered six goals and assists each in the 2020/21 season as Norwich won the second-tier title once again, with Aston Villa soon reportedly told that it would take upwards of £40 million to prise him from Carrow Road.

He failed to have the same impact in the top flight the second time around, and so a loan move to Bournemouth was followed by a disappointing half-season at Norwich before a January move to Rangers.

The versatile midfielder enjoyed a great start at the Gers, with six goals and five assists in 20 games in his first half-season, and he was pretty impressive last season with eight goals and seven assists in 44 appearances as they won the Scottish League Cup, but saw his relationship with the club and boss Phillippe Clement break down before his inevitable summer departure.

Cantwell has grown into a key man for Eustace and Rovers

The 26-year-old admitted that leaving Rangers was the "right thing for me and my career" a week after his Blackburn move, and that has been proven so far with a growing influence on Eustace's team that could prove pivotal to their play-off aims this season.

He began the campaign appearing off the bench most weeks, as he got up to speed with the Championship again, and delivered his first assist for the club as his cross was headed home by Danny Batth to seal a 2-0 win over QPR in September.

His first Rovers start came days later against Coventry City, and after being rested in the next game against Plymouth Argyle, he has started the next six successive games, mainly off the left wing, with another assist from a corner against Swansea City.

Cantwell has been displaying his playmaking credentials week-in, week-out for Rovers, and is central to most of their attacking play alongside the likes of Tyrhys Dolan and Andi Weimann.

The former Norwich man has insisted that there is "a lot more to come" from him this season, as he feels he has "only hit 70 percent" of his capabilities so far, amid illness and fitness struggles.

He is set to be a key part of any success that Blackburn enjoy this season, and his signing already looks to be a stroke of genius by Eustace and the Rovers board, just over two months on from his arrival.