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‘God-given’: Seven quotes about Liverpool target Todd Cantwell

Planet Football •
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Todd Cantwell has been one of this season’s breakout Premier League stars, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Norwich man stay in the top flight next season even if the Canaries go down, with Liverpool reportedly front-runners to sign the winger in the summer.

According to The Athletic, Liverpool are leading Manchester City, Tottenham and Manchester United in the chase for Cantwell, who has scored six goals in 22 starts for the league’s bottom club.

The 21-year-old has attracted praise from a number of people in the game, not just restricted to those associate with his own club.

Daniel Farke

“We want young players to improve to bring them to a different level, and in this respect he is a role model for our way.”

Darren Huckerby

“He was always the most gifted, but needed more work mentally than the others. He would admit it himself he could get intimidated by other players, and it’s great to see where he is now, because five years ago you might have said it would be touch and go,” Huckerby, who coached Cantwell in Norwich’s youth system, told The Athletic in September.

Kevin Hofland

“He is a smart guy and he has a kind of fighting spirit,” Hofland, who was assistant manager at Fortuna Sittard during Cantwell’s loan spell in Holland in 2018, told Sky Sports.

“He had to keep faith in himself. Of course, success is always important but it is also important for a young player to experience some negative things in their life. That is when the real player will stand up.”

Gary Cockaday

“At one point, two of them had Todd up against the line and you could see them thinking, ‘Gotcha!’” Cantwell’s former youth coach told The Athletic in October. “Todd looked at one of them in the eye, put his toe under the ball, flicked it back over his head, turned and he was gone. All without looking at the ball.

“He did things every week that were just special. It was God-given. No one taught it. I always believed if you had someone like that, don’t change them or make them conform.”

Jonathan Pearce

“I think he should be a candidate for Young Player of the Year from what I’ve seen of him.”

Claudio Braga

“I’ve worked with Danny (the Portugal international) and, in his youth, I worked with (Liverpool’s) Gini Wijnaldum,” Braga, Cantwell’s manager at Fortuna Sittard, told The Athletic. “But what I can say is for me – and it is difficult to say these things – is I think Todd is at the same level and maybe he can achieve more, because he has the talent.”

Todd Cantwell

“You have to believe you can play at places like Anfield or Old Trafford, because if you don’t who will?” Cantwell told The Telegraph earlier this month. “If it’s not coming from your heart and if you don’t believe it, then more than likely you’re not going to be able to bring yourself to performances that justify playing.”

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