Jordan Rhodes has admitted that being released by Ipswich Town by then manager Roy Keane gave him extra motivation as a player.
The Scottish striker was sold to Huddersfield Town in 2009, having made 10 appearances and scored one goal for the Tractor Boys.
The 23-year-old told The Sun: "My paths haven't crossed with Roy since. He didn't say anything to me when he released me or give me any reasons.
"In hindsight, it has done me a favour. Going to Huddersfield at the time I did, under Lee Clark and the chairman Dean Hoyle, was the best thing that could ever have happened to me.
"It happens in all aspects of life, when somebody gets dealt criticism or gets released from a club, or gets sacked from a job. They try to take it upon themselves to say 'Right, I'll show you, I'll improve and I'll work as hard as I can to make myself a player I would love to be'."
Rhodes joined Blackburn Rovers earlier this season, equalling the club's £8m transfer record.
Sian Cowper
