It has become a familiar sight this season to see Huddersfield’s Jordan Rhodes appear on the Saturday afternoons vidiprinter. The prolific 22 year old has scored 48 goals for club and country, and broke the record for the most goals scored by a Scottish U-21 international after adding both in last night’s 2-2 draw in Bulgaria. Prior to the match, the Bulgarian coach named Rhodes as ‘one of the most exciting players in Europe’; after the match, and two typically aplomb finishes, it was difficult to disagree. According to the Daily Mail his form has earned him the interest of Fulham, Everton and Aston Villa.
Of course, the sceptics will look at Rhodes and point out, quite rightly, that he has only ever played regular football at League 1 level. Only a handful of appearances at Ipswich, and loan spells at Brentford and Rochdale, account for experience away from Huddersfield Town. But since moving to Town in the summer of 2009, the progression of Rhodes has been clear to see.
In his first season, as a very green and lightweight 19 year old, he notched 23 goals. The following year, despite manager Lee Clark leaving him on the bench believing him not strong enough to play a lone forward role, Rhodes still scored 22 and took the clubs top scorer berth. But it has been this season, after a period of intense strength training and physical development which has seen Rhodes erupt as arguably the greatest talent outside of the Premier League, smashing in 40 league goals, including 5 braces, 3 hat tricks, and two exceptional performances where he claimed 4 and 5 goals in a single games against Sheffield Wednesday and Wycombe.
His first two seasons indicated his natural instinct for goal scoring. Despite his relative lack of strength, especially in a very physical League 1, his goal scoring was consistent. He holds the record for the fastest ever headed hat-trick, claimed against Exeter just 2 months after his move to Huddersfield. His movement in the area is akin to that of a top flight striker; some have criticised his work rate for the team, but his game is focused on movement and finishing. Give him the ball in the area, or pick out his head, and he has the ability to score in whichever league he is in.
I have no doubt that Rhodes would flourish in the Premier League next season. Potential suitors West Ham, Fulham and Celtic would need to part with upwards of £5m for his services, and interest in Rhodes is set to be high. Huddersfield fended off bids in January, and this paid off as they were promoted through the playoffs, but there appears little chance of stopping Rhodes if he expresses a desire to play at the highest level. His refreshing and extremely likeable personality has seen Town fans warm to him during his time at Huddersfield. He is the model professional; in a period dominated by the image of the footballer as arrogant, money obsessed individuals, the family orientated Rhodes is a breath of fresh air.
In his own words, “My family and the people in my life are always going to be there no matter how good or bad my performances are. First and foremost it’s about being a good person. It’s not up to me what happens off the field or what figures people quote or write in papers”.
For me, Rhodes deserves a move, but if he wants to stay in the Championship with Huddersfield, their gain is certainly everyone else’s loss.
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