Ipswich Town fumbled EFL goal machine in an unforgettable way | OneFootball

Ipswich Town have to regret their 2009 Jordan Rhodes decision.

From 2009 to 2016, Jordan Rhodes was one of the deadliest strikers in the EFL.

When facing his Huddersfield Town or Blackburn Rovers side, you knew if you gave him an opportunity he would more than likely take it, as he strung together seven consistent seasons of goalscoring.

The highlight was his 2011-12 year with the Terriers, where he netted an astonishing 39 goals in 45 games as he fired them to promotion via the play-offs.

However, none of this would have been achievable without a remarkable decision made by Ipswich Town in 2009.

Ipswich will still regret Jordan Rhodes decision.

Having followed his father to East Anglia, Rhodes junior was picked up by the Tractor Boys' academy in 2005.

Quickly, he made an impression and, despite numerous injuries affecting him, he made his debut in the 2007-08 season as he came on as a late substitute for Alan Lee against Burnley.

Despite only accruing 110 minutes of football, he bagged his first goal for Ipswich that year as he netted an equaliser against Cardiff City in a 1-1 draw.

However, the following year, Rhodes was sent out on loan to Rochdale and then Brentford, seeking regular playing time to showcase his potential. At Brentford, he offered an early glimpse of his scoring prowess, finding the net seven times in just 14 appearances for the Bees.

Returning to Portman Road, new manager Roy Keane greeted the youngster with the news that he would have to be sold and, amazingly, he departed the club for Huddersfield Town in a deal worth just £350,000.

Roy Keane regret on Rhodes' departure

Upon his arrival at the John Smith's Stadium, Rhodes hit the ground running, scoring at a remarkable rate seldom seen in the Football League. Unsurprisingly, this left Keane disappointed with his own and the club’s decision to let Rhodes leave - a move he continues to regret to this day.

Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph, the Manchester United legend said: "I still get criticised for selling Jordan, and I have to accept that.

"But it was also a club decision. We sold him to Huddersfield, down a division, for (an initial) £350,000, and he started scoring loads of goals.

"I think I was the one who suggested a sell-on clause, and thank God we had it because they sold him to Blackburn for £8 million.

"The mistake myself and the staff made with Jordan was, we discussed what he couldn’t do rather than what he could do."

This clearly affected Rhodes, who admitted that this lack of belief served as a huge motivator for him, and he proved Keane and Ipswich wrong over the following years.

Huddersfield and Blackburn were delighted at Ipswich decision

This dreadful decision benefited Huddersfield greatly, as not only did he dominate League One, but he generated them a huge profit come 2012.

Across 146 appearances in his first spell, the striker had a ridiculous tally of 84 goals along with 14 assists.

In 2012, despite securing promotion to the Championship, Huddersfield could no longer hold onto their star striker, who moved to Blackburn Rovers for a then-club-record fee of £8 million.

Although it was a hefty price for a second-tier player, Rhodes quickly justified the investment. He delivered an outstanding debut season at Ewood Park, scoring 27 goals in 48 appearances during the 2012-13 campaign. He followed this up with 25 goals in the next season and 21 more in the year after, solidifying his reputation as one of the Championship’s most prolific forwards in recent years.

In 2016, Rhodes left Blackburn for high-flying Middlesbrough, but since then, injuries and limited opportunities have hindered his progress, and he currently finds himself in League One with Blackpool.

However, his ridiculous tally in the early 2010s cements him as an EFL great and Ipswich must still be wondering how they let a player of such quality slip through their grasp.