Todd Cantwell sends ‘my boy’ Jack Butland message after Rangers beat Fenerbahce
Blackburn Rovers midfielder Todd Cantwell has paid tribute to Jack Butland after the goalkeeper helped Rangers into the quarter finals of the Europa League.
After Cantwell fell out with then Rangers manager Philippe Clement, the 27-year-old left Glasgow in the summer in order to complete a move to Ewood Park.
Despite that, the Blackburn ace still clearly has a close bond with a number of his former teammates from his time at Ibrox.
As a result, he was keen to enjoy the celebrations as his old club took another big step forward in their European exploits against Fenerbahce.
Jack Butland penalty saves knock out Jose Mourinho
Last week had seen Rangers beat Fenerbahce 3-1 in the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 clash in Turkey.
On Thursday (13 March) the two sides met against in the second leg at Ibrox, where Jose Mourinho’s side won 2-0 in normal time, setting the game up for an extra 30 minutes.
With no further goals scored in that period, the tie was taken to penalties, where Butland saved not one but two penalties to help his side to a 3-2 win in the shootout, securing their place in the last eight.
| Rangers last five games | Result |
| St Mirren (H) | Lost 2-0 |
| Kilmarnock (A) | Won 4-2 |
| Motherwell (H) | Lost 2-1 |
| Fenerbahce (A) | Won 3-1 |
| Fenerbahce (H) | Lost 2-0 (Won 3-2 on penalties) |
Butland has come under fire from Rangers fans for his mistakes so far this season, so Cantwell was keen to revel in his old teammate’s success his.
Taking to his Instagram story, the Blackburn man posted a picture of the goalkeeper celebrating on his TV screen, along with a caption that read: “Give him respect, he’s absolutely magnificent, that’s my boy.”
Cantwell would also tag Butland in that post to ensure he does indeed get that message.
Todd Cantwell may eye Rangers return with Philippe Clement gone
Football Insider Verdict
Cantwell previously hinted he would be open to a return to Rangers, and with Clement now gone, it is hard to see much that might stand in his way in that respect.
Blackburn are at risk of falling short in the Championship play-off race, having lost head coach John Eustace to a club fighting relegation from that league in the form of Derby County.
It is a damning indictment of the way the club are being run off the pitch, and new head coach Valerien Ismael is also yet to make a positive impact.
Being part of the sort of moments Rangers enjoyed with this win would therefore be hugely appealing for someone such as Cantwell, especially he is clearly good friends with some of that squad.
With that in mind, a potential move back to Ibrox in the future for the midfielder is something to potentially keep an eye out for.