Give him bullets and he can still hit target

THE demise of Jordan Rhodes, it seems, has been greatly exaggerated. At 33, the Blackpool striker is enjoying an unexpected renaissance

- Chris Dunlavy

Rhodes’ opener in last weekend’s 3-0 victory over Stevenage was his seventh goal in eight matches since joining Neil Critchley’s side on a season-long loan from Huddersfield.

To put that figure into some context, it is seven-and-a-half years since the former Scotland international finished a campaign with double figures, and he has already matched or surpassed his final tally of league goals from each of the intervening seasons.

In fact, Rhodes is scoring at a rate not seen since 201112, when a club-record haul of 36 fired Huddersfield into the Championship.

One obvious explanation is that Rhodes, after more than a decade in the top two tiers of English football, is now back in League One.

It was there that he made his name, scoring 87 times in 148 matches for the Terriers to earn an £8m move to Blackburn in August 2012.

There can certainly be little doubt that Rhodes is benefiting from playing at a less challenging level, but it would also be wrong to say it is where he belongs. The forward scored 83 Championship goals in just three-and-a half seasons with Blackburn and was universally regarded as one of the best finishers outside the Premier League.