Norwich City prospect Charlie Gilmour is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Todd Cantwell, after a good start to loan life in Holland.

The 20-year-old defensive midfielder has played every minute of Telstar's opening three games in the Dutch second tier so far this season, taking seven points from a possible nine.

Brighton-born Gilmour, who was capped five times at U19 level by Scotland, joined Norwich this summer after his long youth association with Arsenal came to an end.

Canaries academy product Cantwell enjoyed a loan spell in the second tier in Holland during the second half of 2017-18, helping Fortuna Sittard earn promotion to the Eredivisie - with the midfielder's bright start to Premier League life providing inspiration for Gilmour.

"It shows that you get a chance if you play well somewhere," he said. "It's difficult to reach a first team in the Premier League as a young player.

"I don't want to say that Norwich offers the easiest way, but they do give you a platform and have many young players in the team. Age is just a number for them."

The youngster has an ally at Telstar in head coach Andries Jonker, a former Bayern Munich coach who was head of Arsenal's academy between 2014 and 2017, before a short stint in charge of German club Wolfsburg.

"It's an advantage that I know the coach, he gave me my first professional contract with Arsenal," the City loanee explained. "There were many reasons for choosing Telstar. I wanted to play in a first team and I felt that this competition was good enough to develop further.

"It helps that I know the coach, I know what he's like and I know I can trust the process. He has a good CV, has worked at top clubs and has now started a project here to help Telstar go to the Eredivisie."

Gilmour is settling in nicely to life at Telstar, in the coastal town of IJmuiden, west of Amsterdam.

"It's different from London, a lot quieter. It's nice, I enjoy it. In the evening you can get some rest," he concluded, speaking to the Keuken Kampioen Divisie's official website.

"It's nice to see the area and go for a walk. I also didn't live with my family in London, so I'm used to being alone. I'm here to accomplish a task.

"It's easier to focus on football. I feel that I can handle different situations well. It's unusual to end up in a different country and culture. This time will help me further inside and outside football."