Rovers favourite Jordan Rhodes is a free agent after leaving Sheffield Wednesday.

The striker has found starts, and goals, hard to come by since leaving Rovers in February 2016 - and after Wednesday’s relegation to League One on the final day, Rhodes will now begin his search for a new club.

Huddersfield Town have been strongly linked with a reunion for the 31-year-old striker who scored 87 times for the club before his arrival at Rovers in the summer of 2012.

He scored 85 goals in Rovers colours including 28 in his debut campaign, a tally which Adam Armstrong passed on the final day of the season.

Rhodes, an £8m signing from the Terriers, passed 20 in every full season at Rovers, but left in February 2016 after a £9m fee was agreed with Middlesbrough.

Less than a year later, Rhodes was initially loaned to Sheffield Wednesday, and then purchased for £10m, but was then loaned out again to Norwich City in 2018/19.

It means Rhodes has started just 77 league games in the five-and-a-half years since leaving Rovers, scoring 30 times, but he did have a more significant role for the Owls this season than in previous campaigns.

He managed seven goals in 38 appearances, and there were signs of him being back to his best as he netted four goals in five games between March and April.

Rhodes started the final day fixture at Derby County where, despite a 3-3 draw, Wednesday were relegated to League One.

He has remained a popular figure with Rovers supporters, many of who would welcome him back should the opportunity arise. However, Huddersfield appear to be leading the race for his signature, while another one of his former clubs, Ipswich Town, have also been linked.

Rhodes’ sizeable wage at Hillsborough, and transfer paid, have been barriers to deals in the past, but clubs may feel that as a free agent, the striker with 115 Championship goals would be a smart move.

The former Scotland international is only six behind the second tier’s all-time record scorer David Nugent, with Ross McCormack five away on 120.

Adam Reach, a player who worked under Tony Mowbray at Middlesbrough, has also been released, one of 10 players in all to be let go by the Owls.