gordon strachan has declared scotland  and recalled striker jordan rhodes are ready to work together at long last as he prepares to field the nation's 'best out and out goalscorer' in a competitive fixture for the first time in 18 months the national manager kept the blackburn rovers hitman in exile as he went about honing a system for the improving scots, saying that rhodes was not a fit for the international game he wished to create but the striker followed up his surprise return to the squad with a substitute appearance in the midweek friendly win over northern ireland — and strachan last confirmed on saturday that the 25 year old will be let loose on minnows gibraltar at some stage of the euro 2016 qualifier on sunday recalled scotland striker jordan rhodes has been called his country's 'best out and out goalscorer' scotland manager gordon strachan had left rhodes out of the side while he changed his formation  rhodes made his return to the scotland set up with an appearance against northern ireland on wednesday  strachan is set to deviate from his 4 2 3 1 formation in a bid for goals and that could hand rhodes a start in a two man strike force against the group d rookies it would prove a hit with the tartan army, whose favourite rhodes' last appearance in a qualifying game was as a substitute in a 2 0 defeat by belgium in september 2013, after which strachan said he was committed to a style that 'doesn't suit' the £8million forward now rhodes and strachan's plans are equipped to blend, with the manager explaining: 'i think we've evolved since he was last in the squad and, although he has not evolved with us, i think he has the intelligence to get better all the time because he can take things in 'but i think he would find it easier playing with us now than it was two years ago i'd say we make it easier for a striker to play with us now 'he's probably the best out and out goalscorer we've got but that wasn't the criteria to get us kick started back then with where we wanted to go' rhodes missed 11 scotland fixtures during his omission but is set to earn a 14th cap with a second hampden appearance in five days '(his selection) can't be a one off because we are playing two games,' said strachan 'he's already been playing in one and he's going to play in another one so that's two 'we have a few players who could find this the right type of game for them i picked the squad with that in mind it's up to everyone to play well enough to be in the side 'i can't say anyone will have a major role in the future if i said 'he has a major role' and someone comes into the position and is better, he'll have a major role it's up to you to play well enough to be in there' rhodes (right), who has been in impressive club form, celebrates with blackburn team mate craig conway 
blackburn rovers jordan rhodes scotland gordon strachan rhodes strachan gibraltar
blackburn rovers striker jordan rhodes has been welcomed back into the scotland set up following a 11 game absence . manager gordon strachan had kept rhodes out of the side as he tinkered with tactics and formations . now though, strachan is ready to make use of the forward against gibraltar 