Cantwell opens up on 'difficult' end to Norwich spell

The 23-year-old joined Championship promotion-hopefuls Bournemouth on loan for the remainder of the season with the Cherries possessing an £11m option to make the move permanent.

Cantwell fell out of favour with former City boss Daniel Farke and was banished to train with the U23s as their relationship broke down.

Dean Smith gave him an opportunity to impress after arriving as City boss in late November but put some underwhelming performances down to a lack of confidence.

The attacking midfielder started just twice under Smith before departing to Bournemouth and was left out of the matchday squad for City's 3-0 win over Watford last month after failing to perform in training.

Despite a turbulent end to his City career, Cantwell has thanked those close to him for providing him with good advice.

"I can’t lie to you, it’s been difficult," he told the Bournemouth Echo. "It’s easy for people externally to look at the situation and basically guess at what’s happened and look at it and take what they want.

"For me, I’m very lucky, I’ve got a great base around me, I’ve got a brilliant family, brilliant friends that always give me the best advice, not just for myself but for my career.

"The opportunity to come here, the opportunity to play, the opportunity to potentially get promoted back to the Premier League is something I couldn’t turn down."

Many City supporters were hoping Cantwell could step into the creative void vacated by Emi Buendia after his £33m move to Aston Villa last summer.

That didn't materialise. Cantwell made just eight appearances in the Premier League for City this season and failed to replicate the performances that saw him earn rave reviews back in 2019/20.

A desire to play games and revive his career was behind the decision to swap Carrow Road from Dean Court. Cantwell has impressed in early displays for Scott Parker's side.

Cantwell admits he didn't plan for a Norwich exit but is refusing to dwell on the way it ended in Norfolk.

"It’s tough. There’s no hiding that. There are things in football that you don’t ever really plan for, that you don’t ever really think will happen and they do," he said.

"You have to react to it. I’m young enough to be in the position where I kind of understand it, but at the same time I’m hungry enough and have got aspirations to go and do my own thing as well.

"I think as soon as it became a possibility, it was definitely the right thing for me to do and I think you can’t dwell on things for too long, not just in football but in life, you have to move on, accept it and go on to the next thing."

Todd Cantwell made just eight appearances in the Premier League for Norwich City. (Image: Focus Images Limited)

So why did Parker take the risk of bringing Cantwell to Bournemouth?

Newcastle United did display a firm interest in the 23-year-old last month but eventually elected against making a firm offer to sign him.

Parker is hopeful that Bournemouth will see Cantwell return to the levels witnessed during his best moments at Carrow Road.

"He’s got a massive point to prove really," said Parker.

"I think where Todd was probably 12 months ago, six months ago, it was very different to where he is now. I think he’ll be the first to admit that.

"Hopefully we’re going to give him a platform and give him something to go and produce the levels of performance that I think we all come to recognise and see last time in the Premier League and in the Championship when he got promoted with Norwich.

"He’s not played a lot of football, but the boy has got huge quality and he's going to help us, we just need to tread carefully with him."

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