Rovers have today announced the signing of former Everton, Manchester City and Sunderland midfielder, Jack Rodwell, on a free transfer, which will see the one-time England prospect, stay at Ewood Park until at least, the end of the 2018-19 season.
The 27-year old midfielder, joins Rovers with around a decade of experience in the Premier League and the Championship, having made his Premier League debut, when he was only 17. Rodwell comes into the Rovers side, having had his contract cancelled by Sunderland in June, however, Tony Mowbray clearly sees an opportunity for Rodwell to get back to the form he showed in his days at Everton.
A career which started early, saw Rodwell go from strength to strength under the stewardship of David Moyes at Everton, as he became the youngest ever Toffee to appear in a European competition, after coming on as a substitute, aged 16 and 284 days, against AZ Alkmaar. Following a couple of breakthrough seasons, which saw him bled into the first-team picture at Goodison Park, alongside some injury-hit campaigns once he had established himself as a regular, Rodwell showed his class in the 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, where he helped Everton finish in the healthy positions of 8th in 2009-10, followed by successive 7th place finishes, playing a total of 109 games in all competitions, most of which were as a defensive midfielder, before being sold to Manchester City in the summer of 2012, for an estimated £12m.
Prior to his move to Manchester, Rodwell’s impressive performances at Everton, saw him earn his senior England debut in 2011, after being called up for friendlies against Spain and Sweden. The former of which, saw him make his debut as a second-half substitute for former Rover Phil Jones, whilst the 1-0 victory against Sweden saw the midfielder earn his first start for the Three Lions, as he partnered Phil Jones and Gareth Barry in the centre of a 3-man England midfield.
Rodwell’s time at City was nothing short of disastrous for the Southport-born midfielder, as his stay in Manchester was blighted by injuries, which made it increasingly difficult for him to make a mark on the then-Premier League champions’ title-winning midfield. His frustrating spell at City was brought to an end after 2 years and 25 appearances later, and despite playing enough in 2013-14 to earn both Premier League and League Cup winners’ medals, he was shipped out to Sunderland, for around £10m in the summer of 2014.
Despite the increased game-time on Wearside, Rodwell’s stint for the Black Cats didn’t go as he had planned, as although he helped his side steer clear from relegation from the Premier League for 2 years running, with some solid displays, his luck ran out in 2016-17 as a poor Sunderland side were consigned to the Championship after a decade in the top tier. Following on from that, the Black Cats suffered a second successive relegation in 2017-18 as the tumbled into League 1, which culminated in Rodwell’s contract being terminated.
With Rodwell a free agent, this gives Tony Mowbray the perfect opportunity to scout and try the midfielder, knowing the quality he possesses, on a short-term basis, before securing a potential multi-year deal, if that’s a route the manager wishes to go down. Additionally, Mowbray’s stewardship may be what Rodwell needs in order reignite the spark in his career, and get him back to his Everton days, where he was tipped for great things.
Following his announcement, Rodwell spoke to the club’s media team to discuss his delight at the move being sealed.
“It feels brilliant to sign for this great football club. I’ve obviously had a bit of time off, and I can’t wait to get back on the pitch again. Blackburn are a big club, both in terms of size and history and it doesn’t get bigger than the Premier League champions. I had a good chat with the gaffer and I feel that it’s a great fit for me, with it being an ambitious club.
“The manager sold me the offer by talking about the group that’s already here and how they have good camaraderie as well as team spirit, which is something I’m going to enjoy getting involved in, other than that, he mainly sold the club and his ambitions for the season ahead as well as his passion for the game, which I got on board with. I played at Ewood Park a lot for Everton and always enjoyed the atmosphere, so I can’t wait to do it in a Rovers shirt.
“The important thing for me is regular game time, which is something I can’t wait to do in the Blue and White of Rovers. I’ve been playing first team football for 10 years, and I’m still only 27, which is relatively young, so I’m hoping that I can show my experience in my performances in order to help the team. I don’t think I have anything to prove to anyone else other than myself, as I need to get back to enjoying my football, which is why I believe this club is a great opportunity for me to do so.”
