As Huddersfield Town embarks on another League One campaign, addressing their goal-scoring challenges will be critical for their new manager. Despite signing promising forwards like Joe Taylor and Dion Charles, the team’s attacking struggles in the latter half of last season led to a disappointing dip in form. Kevin Nagle, the club’s owner, remains hopeful that his big-money signings will eventually deliver, but strengthening the attack this summer seems inevitable.
In looking for inspiration, Huddersfield supporters may recall the success of Jordan Rhodes, who was one of the most influential players during the club’s previous spell in League One. Former manager Lee Clark was the mastermind behind signing Rhodes, a deal that has proven to be a brilliant stroke of genius.
When Clark took over at Huddersfield in 2009, the club was in desperate need of a goal-scoring striker to help them out of the third tier. The 19-year-old Rhodes, who had made only 33 senior appearances at that point, arrived from Ipswich Town, a club that had failed to see his potential. Despite Rhodes’ unimpressive time at Ipswich, including a lack of league starts, he had shown flashes of brilliance during loan spells at Oxford United, Rochdale, and Brentford, where he helped them clinch the League Two title by scoring seven goals in 14 appearances.
At the time, Ipswich’s manager Roy Keane dismissed Rhodes, allowing the striker to move to Huddersfield for a mere £350,000 – a decision Keane later admitted was a huge mistake. Clark, however, recognized Rhodes’ potential, particularly his impressive goals-to-game ratio despite limited minutes.
“His goal ratio in the games he has played is very good, but his all-round game is very impressive,” Clark shared with Sky Sports in 2009. “He has a good touch, works extremely hard, and works the line well. I couldn’t be happier with the four strikers I have got now.”
Rhodes made an immediate impact, scoring six goals in his first six appearances for Huddersfield, and quickly became a fan favorite. By the end of his first season, he had netted 23 goals in 53 games, though the team’s play-off hopes were dashed. In the following season, he again topped the scoring charts with 22 goals, but heartbreak loomed as they lost in the play-off final.
The 2011-12 season, however, saw Rhodes reach new heights, scoring an astounding 39 goals in 45 appearances. His incredible form included six hat-tricks and crucial goals in key matches, including a memorable 4-4 draw with Sheffield Wednesday. His efforts helped Huddersfield secure promotion through a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Sheffield United at Wembley.
While Clark didn’t stay to manage the promotion team, his role in bringing Rhodes to the club remains pivotal. Rhodes eventually moved on to Blackburn Rovers for £8 million, continuing his prolific career in the Championship and becoming one of the EFL’s greatest strikers. He even returned to Huddersfield for a brief second spell, where he scored a crucial goal in the 2022 play-off semi-final.
