This is how Jordan Rhodes got on in his first Sheffield Wednesday start in 599 days
Rhodes was rewarded with his first Owls start in 599 days against the Rams following an eye-catching performance off the bench in Saturday's win over Brentford.
The striker has been a major disappointment since moving to Hillsborough in a club-record £8m switch in February 2017. Goals have been in short supply for the 29-year-old and he has struggled to hold down a regular starting place under a string of managers.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdBut Monk has handed Rhodes, who spent last season on loan at Norwich City, a Wednesday lifeline.
Rhodes linked up well at times with the in-form Steven Fletcher at Pride Park. He ran the channels and put in a tireless shift in the first half.
Rhodes thrives on crosses into the box. He comes alive in the penalty area and he came within a whisker of increasing the Owls' lead on the stroke of half-time. His improvised header from Adam Reach's cross was tipped onto the crossbar by Ben Hamer.
Perhaps understandably Rhodes tired in the second period. He was quiet and struggled to relieve the pressure on the defence as Derby turned the screw. It was no big shock Monk took him off with 18 minutes remaining.
Did Rhodes take his chance to impress? That is open to conjecture.
But the likelihood is Rhodes will get more opportunities over the coming weeks to prove his worth.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.