Sheffield Wednesday’s major concern this season has been their lack of firepower in front of goal, with the Owls only finding the back of the net 24 times in the Championship from 31 games.
The difficulties at Hillsborough have only been more obvious as the season progresses, with Wednesday on the verge of relegation with five points separating them from Huddersfield Town, who sit precisely above the bottom three.
Winning 2-0 against Birmingham City on Friday night provided a glimmer of hope, but Wednesday will continue to rue their decision to sell one lethal striker, who has since rediscovered his goalscoring form away from South Yorkshire.
Jordan Rhodes’ stats from Wednesday
Jordan Rhodes is a well-known figure among EFL fans, with the seasoned striker scoring 220 goals in his career, mostly in the Championship and League One.
Rhodes’ stint with Wednesday did not go as planned for the notoriously prolific Scot, who was experiencing a rare dry spell in his career when he moved to Hillsborough.
Joining Wednesday after a disappointing spell at Middlesbrough, where Rhodes managed only six goals in 24 games, the experienced forward was unable to exorcise his demons from the Riverside Stadium when donning a brand-new Owls strip.
The 6’1 centre-forward, who once made headlines for scoring 35 goals in a single season for Huddersfield Town, only managed three goals in 20 appearances for Wednesday before being sent out to Norwich City after a disappointing season.
Rhodes has demonstrated that there is still life in him at 34 years of age, but with Blackpool this season, the Owls are looking for an attacker in the Scotsman’s mould who can win games on his own by blasting in a crucial score.
Jordan Rhodes’ statistics at Blackpool
The imposing talisman has rediscovered his goalscoring form for the Tangerines this season on loan from Huddersfield, and he finds himself in a golden boot chase in League One as his career comes to an end.
Only two goals behind Barnsley’s Devante Cole (17), Rhodes might likely lead Blackpool to a playoff spot regardless of personal honors, with 15 goals in 25 third-tier outings.
Rhodes’s rejuvenated form at Bloomfield Road this season has prompted his boss Neil Critchley to call him out for praise, praising the Tangerines hero as “outstanding” last year after the 34-year-old scored a hat-trick against Reading.
Allowing Rhodes to leave the club on a free transfer today appears to be a massive miscalculation on the part of those at Hillsborough, but no one could have guessed the ageing centre-forward would soar to these heights again in the latter stages of his career.
The 34-year-old will be hoping that his loan club, Blackpool, can be promoted to the Championship as a result of his goalscoring exploits, while Wednesday are in risk of sliding out of the second tier.
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