Online Writers' Player of the Year #2 - Jordan Rhodes

Jordan Rhodes has scored 85 goals in the last three seasons.SNS Group

Scotland fans will be hoping that all Rhodes lead to Brazil, but this season it has been Huddersfield Town that have ridden on the back of the 22-year-old striker, all the way to the League One Playoff final.

Rhodes scored his 40th goal of the season during the second leg of the playoff semi-final against MK Dons, to put a bookending into what has been a remarkable season, which has seen the son of former Dunfermline and St Johnstone keeper Andy Rhodes break into the national side.

The strike against Karl Robinson’s side made Rhodes the top Scottish goalscorer this season, well ahead of each one of his future teammates in the Scotland side.

After finishing the 2010/11 season with a total of 22 strikes for The Terriers, Rhodes has managed to double his production this season, scoring five goals during a thumping of Wycombe and four goals in a remarkable draw away to Sheffield Wednesday, as well as another three hat-tricks.

The striker has illustrated his importance for the Yorkshire side this side, scoring almost half of all their league goals in a campaign which saw them finish fourth in the table.

Rhodes has been so vital to The Terriers this season with his goals; he is currently an incredible 23 goals ahead of strike partner Lee Novak, who has claimed 17 so far this season.

He is now a wanted man throughout England, whether or not Huddersfield manage to make it into the Championship. That was illustrated when Craig Levein gave him the last three minutes of the friendly away to Cyprus last November.

The call-up to the Scotland senior squad was partly achieved by Rhodes explosive start for Bill Stark’s Under-21 outfit, where he has already claimed six goals in seven appearances, making him the joint top scorer at that level.

Should Rhodes move on from the Galpharm Stadium next season, there will be a queue of clubs waiting to snap up the striker, which will be good news for Levein. With Kenny Miller reaching the end of his international career and Steven Fletcher in exile, Rhodes will be expected in the near future to make the step up.

With his only real competition coming from the likes of Craig Mackail-Smith and David Goodwillie ahead of the Huddersfield hitman, Rhodes will be looking to capitalise on the fact that the pair each had a relatively poor season this year, to claim the spot as the heir apparent to the main striking role currently filled by Miller.

This season will hopefully go down as the start to long and illustrious career not only at club level, but also in the dark blue jersey of Scotland.

Matt Harold writes for The Away End. You can follow both him and The Away End on Twitter.

More About Scottish Player of the Year

People who read this story also read