Tommy Smith has revealed how he had to retrieve boots belonging to Jordan Rhodes following his pal’s shock departure from Ipswich more than four years ago.

It was July 2009 and the pair were sat together on the Town team bus ready to head for South London and a pre-season friendly at Charlton.

Smith, still on best-pal terms with Rhodes, recalled: “I was very surprised when Jordan left. It was completely out of the blue.

“I can’t comment on what happened behind the scenes. We were just sitting on the bus and he was called away. He came back and told us ‘I’m off’ and it was as quick as that.

“I ended up having to get his boots for him because he wasn’t allowed back into the training ground.”

Rhodes’s transfer to Huddersfield - the Blues ultimately received just over £1 million after top-ups and a sell-on clause - was a huge success for him and his subsequent £8 million move to Blackburn has also worked out well, catapulting him into the Scotland squad.

The striker has netted 125 times in 213 appearances for the two clubs but his departure has always puzzled Town fans, many of whom could not understand then manager Roy Keane’s decision to sell such a promising young talent.

The former Kesgrave High School pupil, , pictured above scoring his only goal for the Blues in the 1-1 draw with Cardiff in April 2008, had made 10 first team appearances, all as a substitute, and looked set to take the next step in his career by challenging for a place in the starting line-up.

Smith added: “We were room-mates on away trips and we lived around the corner from each other on Grange Farm. We used to hang out quite a bit together and at the time it was my best mate at the club leaving.

“I think you can say that leaving Ipswich has been the best thing for his career. It was disappointing to lose him here but he’s gone on and done really well for himself and I’m delighted for him personally.”

Rhodes netted the only goal against Town at Ewood Park in February, his celebrations underlining what the goal meant to him, and tomorrow night’s home clash with Blackburn will mark his first return to Portman Road.

Smith added: “It will be nice to come up against him again. I broke his nose last season so I’m sure he’ll be trying to get some payback for that.

“I’ll probably speak to him today when they are on their way down. I’ll see if I can eke out a bit of information about their team.

“We’re good mates, but as soon as the match starts you’re enemies. I don’t want to see him shouting and screaming against us again.”

Photo: Action Images

kerryblue added 22:28 - Dec 2 Tommy needs to push on this season ,something that hasn't really started yet,concentrate on your own game Tommy,and stop trying to be a pundit,pick up your game .Your not the almighty
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Jimmy86 added 00:11 - Dec 3 A lot of people blame keane for letting jordan go and in hindsight has proved to be one of the most disastrous decisions made by any town manager, but as we all know hindsight is a wonderful thing. Who kbew he would go on to be the success he has become?? Lets face it jim loaned him out on more than one occasion and didnt give him a fair crack if the whip either. I think it didnt help that wickham was bursting onto the scene at that point either and i think keane was given a straight choice between wickham or rhodes and he chose wickham. Think it didnt help that rhodes dad was on the staff and that he seemed to be a fairy vocal character too, which clearly didnt go down well either. Yes maybe the one that got away but we dont know the full story of what went on behind the scenes

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bluelady added 05:40 - Dec 3 A very good friend of Liam trotter told me that keane told him "you are no footballer and won't be in the game in 3 years" ... If keane had wanted Jordan to stay then the club would have backed him, if his hand was forced as a couple of you elude to then how come the very vocal keane didn't make that clear??!! Nope this is is Fault not helped by a week club that didn't stand their ground for too long against a bully manager.....

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BotesdaleBlue added 07:23 - Dec 3 Jas0999 - that is one of the most deluded posts I have ever seen. This was 100% Keane's fault. END OF.
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Hegansheroes added 08:39 - Dec 3 Vic-what a dumb arsx comment
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osborne1nil added 09:44 - Dec 3 Surprise Surprise Jas0999 defending Keane. As many fans know the sale of Jordan Rhodes unfortunately had nothing to do with the abilities of JR but more of the stubborn and unpleasant off hand attitude of Keane and his well known public fall out with Andy Rhodes. This would be another reason why JR was not allowed back in to get boots and kit. People are deluded if they think that it was a footballing decision that benefited the club in anyway. This was a huge loss and he has gone on to prove how much ability he has. He was scoring goals for fun in the reserves and given a chance in the first team could have continued this. Sold because RK thought he was bigger than the Club and all involved. Shame M.E. didn't kick RK out then instead of allowing the sale!

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osborne1nil added 09:51 - Dec 3 Jimmy86, how much hindsight do you need when you have a young exciting player not on a silly wage showing masses of ability and let him go for relative peanuts. I think you will find when Jim loaned him out a) he was younger and b) it was to give him further experience. These loans were successful and how does Wickham 'bursting' on to the scene make any difference to playing JR, aren't Ipswich allowed 2 yound talented players developed through the youth team to emerge?

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Jimmy86 added 12:45 - Dec 3 Osborne1nil I understand your point regarding 2 upcoming talented youth players coming through and agree with you, however i believe at the timerightly or wrongly more effort and time was put into wickham because he perhaps showed more promise or was a better all round player. I also know someone who taught alan ferguson's son to drive and so he used to get some inside gossip and it was something rhodes did on the warn weather training camp in the algarve. What it was he wasnt told but supposedly keane told him then he was no longer welcome at the club

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