Ex-Huddersfield Town striker Jordan Rhodes feels 'very lucky' to have completed Blackpool switch

Former Huddersfield Town striker Jordan Rhodes admits “it feels really good” to have turned his loan stay at Blackpool into a permanent move.

The 34-year-old spent last season on loan with the Tangerines, and has now joined the fellow League One outfit on a 12-month contract following his release from the Terriers, with the move becoming official upon the expiry of his contract with Town.

The forward got his loan spell with the Seasiders off to a blistering start, netting 15 goals by Christmas. However, injuries prevented him from adding to that tally in the second half of the season, leaving the striker delighted to have secured a second opportunity at Bloomfield Road to pick up where he left off in the first part of the campaign.

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“It feels really good, and I’m very thankful to the manager, the chairman, David Downes (sporting director) for getting me to this point,” Rhodes told his new club’s website.

“I feel very lucky that I’ve managed to hopefully get another chance to have another shot here at Blackpool. I loved each and every day last year, and I feel lucky that I potentially get to do that again.

“The feeling and the love that I had here at Blackpool, but also reciprocated by myself, I really, really loved it. I think that’s something that I’ve had once or twice in my career, but then until you go somewhere where you don’t find it, it’s very noticeable.

“Then when you find yourself in an environment as we have here where there’s such respect, and it’s an environment where you feel like you can thrive and really be yourself, that’s not normal. To have somewhere last year that’s shown me that warmth and love was really special. That’s what I’ll look back on.

“I’ve got a very supportive family behind me. I’ll make sure that I’m as present as I can be, and a good dad and husband when I am back there, but when I come over this way, I’m very much committed to the cause of doing the best that I can for Blackpool Football Club.”

Rhodes’ second spell at Town came to an end last month with the confirmation of his release, with the forward netting 10 goals in 64 appearances across his three years with the Terriers.

The forward previously had an outstanding first spell at the club between 2009 and 2012, where the striker scored 87 goals in 148 games before departing to join Blackburn Rovers.

Within that, Rhodes had an extremely prolific campaign the last time Town were promoted out of League One in 2012, with the forward breaking a club record by scoring 36 league goals in that season.

However, having been sent out on loan for the final season of his second stint at the club, Rhodes admitted that Blackpool felt like the right fit for him as soon as he joined.

“Sometimes you find yourself going in a certain direction with teams, and it’s not necessarily the way that the footballing world works anymore, that feeling of worth, of going into an environment where you feel like you’re appreciated,” the striker added.

“That’s what the overriding factor was (as to why he signed for Blackpool). From day one, although that first game away at Lincoln didn’t go collectively as well as we would’ve [liked] (a 3-0 defeat), I felt like I knew from day one and that first game day [with] the types of characters that are in the changing room, the manager, the coaching staff, this is a place where I’m really going to enjoy coming to work.

“Each and every day was a learning day. I really enjoyed working under the manager, and long may that continue.”