Middlesbrough promotion winner Jordan Rhodes has been appointed as Blackburn Rovers’ new loans manager, after announcing his retirement from football.

The 35-year-old was released by Blackpool this summer following a loan spell at Mansfield Town last season. And instead of finding a new club, the prolific goalscorer decided to hang up his boots and pursue the first stages of his post-playing career at Boro ’s Championship rivals, and another of his former clubs.

"It has to end sometime, and I've really enjoyed it, football has been very kind to me," Rhodes reflected. "Obviously, I've got a lot of thanks to a lot of people, family and friends, coaches over the years, to have given me this opportunity to have lived out this dream.

"Football's been very kind to me, it's gone better tha

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