I’VE said at the end of the last two seasons that Jordan Rhodes should stay another year at Ewood Park and try and get Blackburn Rovers back in the Premier League.

But I think this summer might be different.

I don’t know Jordan, but it would not surprise me if he’s got it in the back of his mind that he now needs to test himself at the top level.

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Fair play to him for sticking with Blackburn. Yes he’s been rewarded for his loyalty but I’m sure there have been times when he could have moved or pushed for a move.

And I do think he’s done the right thing by staying, but it’s just, at 25, it’s getting close to now or never for him.

He’s proved he can do it in the Championship. Even this season, when he’s not started as many games as I’m sure he would have liked, he’s still got 16 goals and he’s on course for 20 again.

That kind of ratio will always attract interest and I’m sure the opportunity to make the step up will come again.

It was different in my day, when I was banging in goals in the old Division Two, because back then agents were only just coming on to the scene.

You never had talk in the papers generated by agents trying to sell you. Back then you had a contract, you had to honour it, and the only way you would leave is if a club came in to buy you.

And as I said, I do think another club will come in for Jordan, especially as it now looks like Blackburn are going to spend another season in the Championship.

You can’t afford to lose back-to-back home games like they have done with the defeat against Brighton a real kick in the teeth.

Yes they have not beaten as many of the teams above them as they would have liked but they have dropped too many points to teams below them too, like Brighton.