JULY 31, 2009. Jordan Rhodes signs for Huddersfield for a fee of less than �500,000.

Nine days later, Tamas Priskin arrives at Portman Road for a figure approaching four times the amount Town got for their teenage starlet.

Perhaps it is unfair to combine the two but Rhodes has set League One alight for the last two seasons and is now one of the hottest tickets in the January transfer window.

While Priskin has barely lit a firework during his time at Ipswich and has now disappeared with a whimper after he was released yesterday from his contract.

Both decisions were made by Roy Keane and they are probably the worst moments of the former Manchester United man’s ill-fated spell in charge at Portman Road.

I thought at the time that the signing of Priskin smacked of desperation with the 2009/10 campaign upon us and Keane struggling for attacking options.

And so it proved for two long years as Priskin promised on occasions, but rarely delivered.

When he did, it was often spectacular. Who can forget that memorable night last January when Arsenal were torn apart by Town and their Priskinator?

That day, the Hungarian international was unplayable and he deserved to be a hero among so many bright spots.

But his light faded – and it came to something that the only thing the Super Blues could cheer about was when he scored against Norwich during one of his three loan spells.

The fact that both Keane and Paul Jewell allowed him to go out on loan – to QPR, Swansea and finally Derby County – tells you everything.

He will largely not be missed on the terraces of Portman Road. His lackadaisical attitude won him few friends, the fact that he was obviously talented and would score goals for his international side didn’t help either.

While some fans yesterday questioned why Jewell had let another player leave for free, few will quibble about the decision not to offer Priskin a new contract this summer.

And the fact that he was reportedly on a big-money contract just makes Jewell’s instant actions even more understandable.