Cantwell eyes central City role after influential friendly display

Todd Cantwell of Norwich celebrates scoring his sides 1st goal during the Pre-season friendly match at Carrow Road, Norwich Picture by Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd +44 7904 640267 30/07/2019 Paul Chesterton

Playing a central role is the long-term hope for Todd Cantwell but the Norwich City prospect will be happy wherever he is involved for Daniel Farke’s team.

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The academy product started in the central attacking midfield role and scored as the Canaries led top Italian side Atalanta 1-0 at Carrow Road in a friendly, with Marco Stiepermann on the bench after picking up a dead leg during a 5-1 friendly win at Luton.

City lost their way and ended up losing 4-1 to the Champions League qualifiers, amid a host of substitutions, but Cantwell had been a shining light of a positive first hour.

"I would say it's probably a favoured one," he said of playing centrally. "But playing off the left under Daniel is not like a normal left midfield role, so I wouldn't say it's too far out of position but naturally I've always been a number 10 and it's always been a position that's I've felt like I've flourished.

"But playing on the left in this team with the way we like to play is no real hardship!"

Part of that bright display was linking nicely with striker Teemu Pukki, providing chief support to the striker, who had four good chances against the Italians but couldn't find the net.

"We've got a natural chemistry, me and Teemu," Cantwell added. "I like playing in the number 10 position, where I feel like the striker, I don't have to think about what he's going to do, I know what he's going to do.

"His runs are very clever so it's quite easy to facilitate Teemu Pukki because he's such a clever player and some of the runs he makes are brilliant.

"So it's a bit of a dream to play behind someone like that."

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That was a role that Stiepermann had performed so well during last's season Championship success and the German could well return for Saturday's friendly against French side Toulouse.

The 21-year-old is just pleased to have shown he can be an option for that role as well during pre-season though.

He continued: "There have been some good performances in pre-season, you can't read too much into it but you've got to give the manager a headache and I'd like to think that with some of my performances I've played well.

"So we'll just have to wait and see what goes on."