Jordan Rhodes: Blackburn striker welcomes competition for place

Jordan Rhodes has scored 53 goals in 96 appearances for Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Rovers striker Jordan Rhodes is excited by the attacking options available to boss Gary Bowyer as the Championship season approaches.

Rhodes formed a prolific partnership with Rudy Gestede in the closing weeks of last season, their goals pushing Rovers to the brink of the play-offs.

And Chris Brown and Luke Varney have both joined the club during pre-season.

"There's plenty of competition for places and nobody's taking anything for granted," said Rhodes, 24.

He told BBC Radio Lancashire: "The manager's got a few strikers to choose from. He's brought in Chris and Luke, and there are a number of other players like Ben Marshall and Josh King who can play up there.

"Every day in training, it's up to us to be right on it and keep improving."

Former Cardiff striker Rudy Gestede joined Blackburn permanently in January

Scotland international Rhodes recently agreed a new long-term contract with Rovers, who paid a club-record fee of about £8m to sign him from Huddersfield in August 2012.

He has scored 53 goals in 96 appearances for the Lancashire side, including 25 in the Championship last season.

Blackburn finished eighth in the table and are being tipped by some as promotion contenders this term.

Rhodes added: "A lot of fans are quietly optimistic and we've heard certain things around the media in that sense.

"Us, as players, have got to try and distance ourselves as much as we can from that and concentrate on the now. It's our duty to not get carried away and I think that's going to be important in the next couple of months.

"The foundations are there and the players are there. It's a Premier League club - the facilities, the people, the fans and everything about it. It's our duty as players to aim towards getting that status back."

Blackburn host relegated Cardiff City in their opening Championship fixture on Friday, 8 August.