Todd Cantwell on Rangers' hurt after Celtic loss, not getting involved in off-pitch matters and Michael Beale's impact on him

Todd Cantwell is still wet behind the ears when it comes to the complexities of being owned by one half of Glasgow, but the Rangers midfielder has an immediate grasp of the demands of his new club; silverware is all that matters.

Rangers fell short in that regard at Hampden as they lost out on the first trophy of the season as Celtic’s odds of claiming a domestic treble heightened considerably after winning the Viaplay Cup. Michael Beale’s copybook has been blotted only by that defeat but Cantwell appreciates the significance that the Scottish Cup now holds for the Ibrox side. Few would anticipate Raith Rovers offering much resistance on Sunday afternoon at Ibrox as Rangers look to set up another Hampden date.

“Winning cups is the reason I came to Rangers,” said Cantwell, whose performances have impressed in recent games. “I didn’t come just to win league games and not get trophies. I came to win as much as I possibly can and I know that’s aligned with everyone else in the changing room. That goes for the management team as well. That gives us more hunger going into this cup tie.

“I definitely think this squad has the mentality to win things. I can only go off what I’ve seen since I’ve been here. I definitely believe it. I saw the hurt in the players and I felt it as well after Hampden. I’ve only been here a month but it really opened my eyes to how much it means and how important it is for Rangers and the players.”

Todd Cantwell believes he can win trophies at Rangers.

The perennial circus that surrounds anyone playing for Rangers or Celtic in Glasgow can be absolute. Arriving players sometimes try to immerse themselves in the culture of the club but for the 25-year-old Cantwell it is all about on-field matters. “I’m not so into the off the pitch stuff,” he said. “I’m here for a reason, to win things and concentrate on what matters. Obviously, the cup final didn’t go to plan but there’s a project here and I think we’re building towards something. It’s exciting for me to be part of it. I bought into the project that I was sold here. So far, it’s exactly what it was said to be. I’m happy with my position and everything here so far.”

Cantwell’s homework ahead of his move to Rangers set the foundations for his switch from Norwich with his confidence in Michael Beale’s tuition a selling point. Indeed, he has revealed that he has been surprised at the standard of coaching. “As a player, you have to be very careful that you make the right decision for your career because it can be over pretty quickly,” Cantwell said. “I had to make sure this was the right move for me at this moment in time. The manager didn’t need to persuade me to come here - I wanted to come. I came for a reason and that’s to win things.

“He [Beale] can make me a better player, 100 per cent. The coaching staff here and the manager are fantastic. I thought they’d be good but I’ve actually been impressed by just how good they have been. On a day to day basis, we are all becoming better footballers. We can’t get too distracted by what’s in the future. We have to attack every game now and continue to take steps in the right direction.”