AFC Bournemouth
Todd Cantwell’s arrival on transfer deadline day has captured the imagination of Cherries supporters and his former academy coach Jimmy Unwin has backed him to shine at Vitality Stadium.
The former Norwich City academy coach, who is currently in charge of Cambridge United's under-18s, started coaching Cantwell when the Cherries man was just 12-years old, even driving him to school for two years.
Unwin told afcb.co.uk: “I’ve known Todd since he was 12 years old. He was in the under-13s group but he looked like an under-10! He was an absolute dot, but had bags and bags of talent, enthusiasm and played with a smile on his face.”
He describes Cantwell as an inquisitive, hard-working youngster who was constantly asking the experienced coach questions.
“For nearly two years, I took Todd to a partner school in Norwich. I used to pick him up from his home in Dereham and he would ask me question after question after question about football, what he needed to do to do certain things.
“I eventually became his coach. I got to know him more, got to challenge him on and off the pitch and built up a good relationship with Todd.”
The talent of the attacking midfielder, who has since made 122 career appearances and won three promotions across England and Netherlands, was clear from the start but Unwin was impressed with his work ethic above anything else.
“For me, every game there was something he did that was unbelievable. When he first went to a full-sized pitch, I took corners off him because his technique wasn’t reaching so he knew he had to work on that and get better at his technique.
“I then got a call from his school in Dereham asking me to have a word with Todd because he kept going to their new astro, climbing the fence, going in and doing his extras, practicing his ball striking technique. They weren’t upset but just wanted him to ask for the key!
“Every time we challenged him he came out with the outcome he needed to because he was a really good problem solver.”
In an interview with the Athletic, his family described when a coach made a joke about the lack of headed goals scored by Cantwell ahead of a game with Tottenham Hotspur.
Cantwell scored two goals in the game and as he netted his hat-trick, he rounded the goalkeeper, got on his hands and knees and pushed the ball over the line with his head.
Unwin recalls the academy staff being torn over the goal: “I remember them telling him off in the academy when he did that because it was disrespectful, but at the same time they said the skill that he had to make that happen was genius!”
Cantwell has become renowned for his technical ability when on the ball, his range of skills and dribbling capabilities and Unwin says that developed from a lack of size as a youngster, noting that his ability became so notable that the under-18s would stop to watch his sessions.
Unwin says: “Put it this way, when he was 12 years old, everyone in the academy knew who he was.
“The under-18s would watch him in training and even though he was smaller than everyone else, he used to dribble around everyone and do unbelievable skills and tricks. He oozed class really.
“There’s more to him than his ability, he used to have to really work hard to get on the ball in those youth development ages because he was swimming against the tide, he had to really graft and push himself.
“We put him in a futsal environment when he was at school and Toddy loved that but he used to get pushed off the ball, so he had to move it quicker. He learned how to adapt, he taught himself really because he was so hungry.”
Cantwell was joined by members of his family as he signed for the Cherries on deadline day, ensuring to introduce himself individually to the members of staff involved in his announcement.
Unwin describes his family as a tight-knit group with a love of football: “They’re a really good family. His dad Steve is a lovely guy, his mum Jackie has been a really good mum to him, she’s really looked after Todd and made sure he’s done the right things.
“They’re a really big footballing family. His sister Amber plays for Cambridge United Ladies and his brother Jordan was a good non-league footballer who actually played in the academy at Norwich.
“They’re football people but more importantly, he’s had a good grounding from his family and they also have a perspective on life as well.”
Unwin bumped into Cantwell’s family just weeks after the midfielder made his senior debut for Norwich City against Chelsea in the FA Cup in January 2018 and admitted there was a wave of emotion seeing his success.
“I saw his mum and dad a few weeks after he came on for his debut at Chelsea, I couldn’t tell you the emotions I felt. Knowing how hard he’s worked, how patient he’d been for his opportunity and seeing where he is now is special.
“He’s 23, the world is his oyster and he needs to play as much football as possible and show off what he’s got because he’s got undeniable talent and a great work ethic.
“It’s time to express himself at a great club with great management in a really good place in the Championship.”
