Rhodes scored his first league goal since March as Sheffield Wednesday beat Millwall on Tuesday.
Carlos Carvalhal has compared Jordan Rhodes’ situation to that of Gary Hooper when he first arrived at Sheffield Wednesday.
Hooper took six games to score his first goal for Wednesday, but struck six in his next six to earn a permanent transfer from Norwich City in January 2016.
The 29-year-old has since added 21 more to his Owls tally, despite missing much of last season through injury, and is the Hillsborough side’s top scorer with eight this campaign.
Though Rhodes got off to a bright start at Wednesday, scoring three goals in his first seven games for the Owls, the previously prolific striker then went seven months without one in the league.
The 27-year-old finally ended his drought during Tuesday’s win against Millwall, before going close on three more occasions.
And speaking via Wednesday’s official Facebook account on Thursday, Carvalhal suggested Rhodes can take inspiration from his Hillsborough strike partner.
The Portuguese said: “I remember when Gary Hooper arrived at our club. If you remember, The first one or two months it was not good. I remember some people criticised and after, look [at] the player we have in our hands.
“I remember exactly, that first, second, I believe those two or three months in the beginning, because he has not adapted to what we want, not adapted to his colleagues, not adapted to our style of football, and look now which player we have in our hands; the goals and the performances that he is doing.
“With other players it’s the same, they [need] time to adapt, sometimes it’s about confidence, especially with the strikers. I’m very happy with all of them, and understanding that strikers need goals to win confidence. And when they score, usually they discover something in the mind to try to score more.”
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