Glasgow Rangers return to domestic action this weekend following the recent international break, facing Hibernian in the Premiership at Ibrox.
Philippe Clement led his side to victory over the Easter Road outfit just a few weeks ago in what was a bad-tempered Scottish Cup clash in Edinburgh, and another win would allow the club to carry on their momentum into the final weeks of the season.
Injuries have played their part since the turn of the year, but it surely won't be long before the Belgian manager welcomes back the likes of Danilo and Abdallah Sima into the first-team squad.
With just nine games to go in the Premiership, Rangers and Celtic are battling it out at the summit in what has been the fiercest title race since 2011.
Clement will be hoping his star players can continue to perform between now and May as the chance to secure a first treble in over 20 years is within their grasp.
Todd Cantwell returned from injury to enjoy a brief cameo against Benfica prior to the break and the Englishman will be key over the coming weeks.
Todd Cantwell’s statistics this season
It's safe to say that Cantwell enjoyed an excellent start to life in Glasgow upon joining the club last January. Under Michael Beale, the former Norwich City starlet scored six goals and registered five assists in just 20 matches during the second half of the 2022/23 season.
The Light Blues failed to win a trophy, but hopes were high heading into the current campaign, especially if Cantwell could resume where he left off.
The opening few weeks were a disaster, however. Not only did the club miss out on the Champions League group stages, but they lost three of their first seven Premiership matches, meaning they slipped eight points behind Celtic.
Metric
Europa League
Premiership
Goals
1
5
Assists
0
3
Big chances created
0
4
Key passes per game
0.5
1.6
Successful dribbles per game
2.3
1.1
Cantwell managed to register just one assist before suffering a knee injury against Celtic during the first Old Firm clash of the season, which ruled him out for seven games.
By the time he was fit enough to return, Clement had taken over from Beale, meaning Cantwell had a new manager to impress.
During the early stages of his tenure, the Englishman was often used out wide on the right flank, a position where he failed to really showcase his true talents, with the nadir coming against Aris Limassol in the 1-1 draw, where he was subbed off after just 36 minutes.
Since then, however, Cantwell has gone on to score five times in the league while being utilised in his favoured number ten slot.
Among his teammates, the 26-year-old currently ranks fourth for goals and assists in the top flight, along with ranking fourth for key passes per game (1.6) and fifth for successful dribbles per game (1.1), showcasing his talents in an attacking midfield role this term.
While he has been impressive recently, the Ibrox side had the chance to sign a player towards the end of the last season who is now currently outperforming Cantwell for his new club – Malik Tillman.
Malik Tillman’s Rangers statistics
The American attacking midfielder joined on a season-long loan deal from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2022, and it looked like a shrewd piece of business by Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Despite being only 20 years old, Tillman enjoyed a solid start to life at Ibrox, scoring against USG in the Champions League qualifiers, while setting up Antonio Colak’s winner against PSV Eindhoven, which sent the Gers through to the group stages for the first time since 2010/11.
As the season wore on, the youngster continued to shine. By the end of the campaign, he had scored 12 goals and grabbed five assists while ranking third in the squad for big chances created (12) in the top flight, third for successful dribbles per game (1.5) and fifth for shots on target per game (0.7), demonstrating how effective he was in the opposition third.
He was hailed by teammate John Lundstram after a game against Aberdeen, who said: “Tell him how good he can be and how good he is. Because he’s phenomenal, his talent is up there with one of the best young talents I’ve seen. Stick with him, rather than saying he needs to be dropped if he has one bad game.”
Rangers had the chance to secure his signature for around £5m, but Bayern preferred to keep him, loaning him to PSV this season, where he has exceeded all expectations.
What Malik Tillman is doing now
The 21-year-old has taken the experience he gained during his time at Rangers last season and put it to good use for the Dutch giants this term.
Across 32 games for the Eredivisie side, Tillman has scored six goals and registered ten assists in all competitions as PSV look set to win the league following an impressive campaign.
The former Rangers gem has shone domestically and ranks fourth for goals and assists (12), sixth for key passes per game (1.9) and fifth for successful dribbles per game (1.5), suggesting that the American is enjoying life in Eindhoven.
These performances currently see the attacking midfielder valued at €13.7m (£12m) according to Football Transfers, while it could continue to rise over the coming months if he ends the season strongly.
It appears as though the Light Blues have missed out on signing a player who could have made them a stunning profit in the transfer market.
Not only that, but he is currently outshining Cantwell this season and his goals could have proven crucial for the side as they look to end Celtic’s recent dominance of Scottish football.
His future looks unclear, yet if he can maintain his current form, there might be a chance for the young talent to make an impression on the new Bayern Munich head coach ahead of the 2024/25
campaign.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.
Tillman was raw during his spell at Rangers, but his potential had no ceiling. PSV are the beneficiaries of that now, and they could well make Bayern an offer they can't refuse for the American.