I caught up with Cardiff City midfielder Cameron Antwi, as we discuss Cam's return from injury, making his Bluebirds debut and THAT free-kick against Swansea City.
For those who perhaps aren't familiar with you and your style, what type of player are you and which player would you say you are the most similar to?
I'd say I'm a combative midfielder that has very good attacking attributes. I can drive forward, pick a pass out, score goals, assist, but on the flip side I can also defend, make challenges, blocks, keep my shape, so, it's a bit of a weird one, but I'm just like an all-rounded eight I'd say. The player I play like; I've been recently compared to Bissouma a lot, so yeah I'd say Bissouma, even though I feel like I've still got more of a attacking mindset than Bissouma, but yeah I'd say Bissouma for now.
It's fair to say you've impressed fans in your time at the club; how does that make you feel and is it something you're aware of?
Yeah I'm aware of certain things. Obviously I'm scrolling through the timelines on different social media apps and I see certain things, and also my friends and family they do send me stuff as well, so yeah I'm aware that the supporters do like the way that I'm playing and they do think I'm a good player. I just hope that I can do it for the first team, and that they can see that I'm ready to do it at that level as well, but yeah it does make me feel good honestly seeing good and positive vibes around my name, so yeah I just hope to carry it on really.
That free-kick against Swansea; talk me through it and the feeling after scoring?
I saw Joel get fouled, and then just thought to myself I'm shooting here, but it has to be perfect, because of the distance of how far it was, so I've just hit it the same technique I always hit my free-kicks with; just like try and curl it over the wall, with a bit of pace, not too much, and yeah it flew in off the crossbar. When it went in, I was just like overcome with emotion. I feel like the goal's a bit more special to me, not only because it was a derby, but I came back from injury. Now I've worked hard to get back to playing my best football, or getting back to where I was before, so you know I feel like I'm getting there still, I've still got levels to go up, but, that goal was a special moment for me, especially obviously scoring and assisting and getting the win in a good fashion against Swansea, so yeah I feel it was a great moment for me.
You had a pretty nasty injury which ruled you out of the back end of last season; what exactly was the injury and what was the recovery process like?
Basically, I got hit in the head mid-air, and then I collapsed onto both knees, because I was unconscious, so then I tore two ligaments in my left knee, and one ligament in my right, so I tore my PCL the back of my knee and MCL the inside of my knee on my left, and then I tore the inside of the MCL on my right. Yeah it was tough. I think it's probably the hardest thing that I've ever had to overcome. I've had a lot of setbacks in life, especially to do with football, so like things happen to me that's quite normal, like my bad things like in the football world is normal to me, but that beat me up I'll be real, because I was playing so well at the time; things were happening and then they all just collapsed because of the injury, so yeah it was tough. The recovery was about six months; it was long, it was slow, but you know I worked, I mentally got better, physically got stronger and now I feel like I'm the best I've ever been physically. So yeah, it was a tough process but I did get through it with the help of my family and my friends and obviously God. It changed me a lot I'd say, but it was a process I had to go through.
You made your Cardiff City debut against Sheffield Wednesday a week ago; how did it feel to get your first professional minutes for the club?
To get my Cardiff City debut felt good. Obviously talking about the injury again, but especially coming off the injury that was one of my plans, to make my debut. You know I've been trying to do that for almost a year now, year and a half. To put on the shirt and get out in a stadium like that, full of fans was good; get back into the men's game, but it felt good to make my Cardiff City debut, just can't wait to play at CCS in front of the home support.
Cardiff have produced some pretty talented players during your time at the club; who is the best player you've played with in your time at the club so far?
That's a tough question. There's so many players I've played with, especially that Cardiff have brought up, that are so good. If I had to narrow it down to the best, it's very tough. If we're doing just people that have come from the Academy, three player that I think technically are the best I've seen, Caleb Hughes, Cian Ashford and Joel Colwill, but I'd say the best from the Academy, I'd say Joel Colwill. His skillset is ridiculous, it doesn't make sense how good he is for his height, his build, the way he manipulates the ball is mental, he is a player to watch out for. But, if we're doing simply who's worn a Cardiff City shirt, Jaden Philogene, that boy speaks for himself. Honestly, I don't even need to say too much on Jaden.
What are your personal targets between now and the end of the season?
My personal target is to obviously stay fit, get as many games under my belt as possible in the men's game; first team football. Obviously I feel like I've done my time in the under 21's. I've done well. Now it's time for me to push on and see if I can do it in the men's game again, so I feel like getting minutes; either on loan, or in the first team here, wherever it is, just getting first team minutes under my belt, so I can know that I can compete at a higher level.
What does the future hold for Cameron Antwi with your deal up at the end of the season; are you keen to stay and keep progressing with Cardiff?
What does the future hold? Me personally, I don't really look too far ahead into the future. I like to focus on the present. Of course I'd love to stay at Cardiff; I love the club. I love the City, the people, the area. I love everything about Cardiff. I feel like home, like I've been here a year and a half, but it does feel like home, so yeah I'd love to continue my career at Cardiff and progress here, but yeah we'll see come the end of the season.
Big thank you to Cam for taking time to answer the questions; looking forward to seeing you push for the first team!
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