Jordan Rhodes has made a terrific start to life on loan at Blackpool and his penalty conversion away at Barnsley on Saturday was his fifth goal in as many appearances this season.
The veteran frontman joined Huddersfield Town at the beginning of the 2021/22 campaign after leaving Sheffield Wednesday following the expiration of his contract with the Owls. Rhodes had already spent time with the Terriers, having scored 87 goals for the club during a nine-year stint from 2009 to 2013.
Unfortunately, Rhodes’ second time at the John Smith’s Stadium did not go as planned, as the experienced striker only managed eight goals in 55 league games before being loaned out to Blackpool at the start of the current season.
Nonetheless, Rhodes has made an immediate impact at Bloomfield Road, scoring five goals in five games under Neil Critchley. Huddersfield Town have the option to recall the 33-year-old to assist reinforce Darren Moore’s attacking department, according to writeron his exclusive Patreon.
Nixon claims that the contract contains a break clause that will be activated on January 2, allowing Moore to return Rhodes back to Huddersfield.
The pair had worked together for a short time during Rhodes’ stint at Hillsborough, when Moore joined the club near the close of the 2020/21 season.
Critchley’s remarks
However, at his pre-match news conference ahead of tomorrow’s crucial match against Derby County, Blackpool head coach Neil Critchley addressed the rumours.
The former Aston Villa manager has stated that he is not concerned about potentially losing Rhodes during the January transfer window. [quotes courtesy of The Blackpool Gazette]
“In January, you have an automatic recall for every loan player you have.” That is true not only of Blackpool, but of every club in the country. There is always a clause, there is always a clause.
“It’s nothing new; it’s just something you have to deal with as the date approaches.” It’s happened before; you just have to be prepared for any scenario,” he added.
“We’ve only just gone into October, so we’ve got him for the next few months for definite.”
Author’s Opinion
Most loans will have a recall clause, so Critchley is correct, but Blackpool might lose Rhodes in three months if Huddersfield Town recalls the striker.
However, if the Terriers are flying at that stage and scoring a lot of goals, the chances of a recall are small. In three months, context will be critical.
