Terriers’ rivals on Rhodes to ruin

HIT MAN . . . Jordan Rhodes has been a prolific scorer for Huddersfield since his move from Ipswich.

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ATHLETIC have no less than four of Huddersfield's squad from last season on their books, but it is an Oldham-born striker who will be setting out to wreck his home-town club's hopes at Boundary Park on Sunday.

Since departing Coca-Cola Championship strugglers Ipswich Town in the summer for an undisclosed fee, 19-year-old Jordan Rhodes — son of ex-Athletic goalkeeper Andy — has netted 12 times in 15 matches in all competitions, causing many to scratch their heads as to why winless boss Roy Keane chose to let him go.

The Suffolk club's loss has certainly been free-scoring Huddersfield's gain.

Lively young predator Rhodes has started the season in hot form, bagging a hat-trick earlier this month in a 4-0 home demolition of Exeter City and getting one in the final minute last week in a victory by the same scoreline at the Galpharm Stadium against Leyton Orient.

Rhodes aside, Huddersfield manager Lee Clark has plenty of firepower elsewhere within a strong-looking squad.

Former Watford trainee Theo Robinson has eight goals so far this year, hard-working Lee Novak is currently in possession of a starting shirt and ex-Coventry man Robbie Simpson could be involved from the substitutes’ bench.

Supplying the ammunition from the wings will be Anthony Pilkington, who learned his trade in the professional ranks at Stockport County, and Gary Roberts, who bagged the opening goal last week.

ATTENTION

Goalkeeper Alex Smithies is a mere 19-years-old, but the England Under-19 international's form over the past two seasons has seen him draw attention from several Premier League clubs, while midfielder Danny Drinkwater is on loan at the West Yorkshire club from Manchester United and may play a part in the game as a substitute.

While they have been hot at home, Huddersfield have severe concerns over away form which has seen them lose four successive games on the road, leaving the team just outside the League One play-off places in seventh.

Athletic front man Keigan Parker is not about to take his former club lightly, though.

"Looking at the money they have spent and the players they have brought in, they must have one of the highest wage bills in the league," said Parker, one of the three ex-Town men likely to play on Sunday with former Huddersfield captain Jon Worthington missing out through injury.

"They have a lot of good players and their strikers have scored a lot of goals, so we need to watch out.

TASTE

"We played well against MK Dons and we will need to take that sort of performance into this game."

Andy Holdsworth and Pawel Abbott are the other two ex-Terriers players taking on Huddersfield for the first time in the trans-Pennine derby, though for Parker more important than proving a point is coming away from the game having picked up three points.

"These things happen in football," the Scot added. "Having played against Blackpool in pre-season, I have had a wee taste of what it is like playing against your former club, though obviously I had played a lot more times for Blackpool.

"At the end of the day, we just want to get the three points and move ahead of them in the table."

A win on Sunday could see Athletic climb as high as fifth, which would be their highest position of the season so far.