Source: FOOTYMAD
Rodriguez closing in on new deal
Just a few weeks ago manager Brian Laws said that he'd spoken to Jay Rodriguez about a new deal and the good news is that deal now looks imminent. Jay signed his first professional deal, a one year deal, in the summer of 2007 during the time that Steve Cotterill was manager. He made one substitute appearance in his first season as a pro and then stepped things up in the 2008/09 season when he made several appearances, mostly from the bench, and scored some vital goals in cup competitions.Last season, somewhat surprisingly, he wasn't included in the squad in the early games of the season and then suffered a serious injury in the Carling Cup tie at Barnsley, and it was at Barnsley that he took his first steps back to full fitness with a loan in early 2010.This season Jay has been very much part of the first team squad and having come on for Ross Wallace at Palace, when the former Preston player suffered an early injury, he's retained his place in the side.He's been winning lots of plaudits with team mates Chris Iwelumo and Clarke Carlisle, and more recently Graham Alexander and Wade Elliott, singing his praises and this week he's been tipped to win a call up for the England Under-21 squad.Just ahead of the last international break Laws said that he wanted to tie him to a longer deal and said at the time: "He's not going anywhere." That looks very much the case now with the deal said to be imminent and the manager saying: "Things are moving rapidly and we expect to make an announcement shortly."Talks are also underway with another couple of players who are out of contract in the summer. It doesn't take a lot of working out that these two are almost certainly Wade Elliott and Chris McCann and there could be some good news there in the not too distant future.
