Rangers star Todd Cantwell whips up social media storm with passionate defence of XL bully dogs amid ban

Rangers star Todd Cantwell hit back at critics after issuing a passionate defence of XL bully dogs following plans to ban the dogs by the end of the year in the UK. The ruling from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak comes after the death of a man and a serious injury to an 11-year-old girl in the country but has caused upset among some, including the Gers' midfielder, who is currently battling a knee injury.

Cantwell owns a Bull Terrier himself, which is a breed currently banned in Britain under the Dangerous Dogs Act, meaning owners must apply for a Certificate of Exemption. Their pets must also be neutered, microchipped and kept on a muzzle and lead when in public. Only four dogs are currently banned in Britain under the Dangerous Dog Act which are the Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Toso and the Pit Bull Terrier.

The 25-year-old shared a message to his Instagram story over the weekend, slamming the ruling. He said: "In the 70s, they blamed the Dobermans. In the 80s they blamed the German Shepherds. In the 90s they blamed the rottweilers. In the 2000s they blamed the pit bulls. Now they blame the XL bullies. When will they blame the humans?"

Cantwell wasn't done there either. When one X user shared a screenshot of the story and branded the player a 'Facebook auntie' over the moaning post, the star snapped back: "This isn’t actually a comical matter and it needs exposure, so maybe stop viewing my stories and stick to Facebook."

Responses to Cantwell's X post centred more on the player's unusually unpolished use of social media. One user even asked if it could possibly be Cantwell posting such a Tweet, to which he replied, 'it's me'. Others hypothesised that the player might have been searching for his own name on Twitter to find such a message.

Another added: "He’s went from TiktokTodd to TwitterTodd. I’m having difficulty keeping up."