Jordan Rhodes can earn Middlesbrough Championship promotion says Dave Edwards
Friday 22 April 2016 10:51, UK
Wolves' Dave Edwards thinks the race for automatic promotion from the Championship will go down to the wire, but tips Middlesbrough's Jordan Rhodes to be "the difference".
Boro currently lead the pack but they are only two points ahead of Burnley and Brighton with just three games left to play in the race for the automatic promotion.
Rhodes' arrival in January from Blackburn has helped the club reach the top of the table, scoring key goals including a brace in a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Bolton on Saturday - his tally for the season is 16 goals.
And Edwards has been impressed with Aitor Karanka's side this term labeling them the "stand out team".
"They've been great all season and we played them earlier in the season, we actually went on nil up in that game," Edwards told Sky Sports News HQ.
"They had the likes of [Albert] Adomah and [Stewart] Downing on the bench and it just shows the strength of their squad.
"They came back and won the game 3-1 and probably out of those three teams they've been the stand out team.
"He's (Rhodes) is a terrific player and that might just be the difference when it comes down to it."
Burnley enter the final three games of the season unbeaten in their last 20 league games and Wales international midfielder Edwards has refused to rule them out of the race.
"I think it's the Sean Dyche effect, he has a really well drilled team, they don't change much it's the same eleven whenever they can and they are very organised and hard to break down," he said.
"Then you have the quality they have going forward that's going to get them goals."
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Andre Gray has been crucial to the Clarets' promotion push and is currently top scorer in the Championship with 24 goals this season and Edwards believes he is destined for the Premier League.
"I have followed him (Gray) right the way through and he will definitely go on to be a big player in the Premier League I have no doubt that," said Edwards.
Brighton have fought their way back in to the race for automatic promotion despite stuttering over the Christmas period going on a win-less streak of eight games after an astounding start to the season with a 21-game unbeaten run.
Edwards believes Brighton's manager Chris Hughton deserves credit for the turn-around at the club after last year's disappointment.
"It's been a tremendous story because they started the season great going on a really long unbeaten run," said Edwards.
"Chris Hughton has a huge amount of credit to take for what he has done, they've turned it around again and they've gone on another long run.
"They are playing some really free-flowing football and they are definitely the in-form team at the moment."
Burnley continue their push for automatic promotion this Friday when they play against Preston North End, live on Sky Sports 1.
