Reggae Boy Luton Shelton. - file

Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer

If the fans of English Premiership team Sheffield United have their way, national striker Luton Shelton could get his wish of more playing time.

The young Jamaican striker who earned a 2 million from Swedish club Helsinborg in the January transfer window after a prolific six months in the Scandinavian country alongside the Swedish legend Henrik Larsson but was kept off the field until last week.

In a poll released on the club's website earlier last week, the former Harbour View striker emerged as the favourite to start for the club alongside the former Blackburn striker Jon Stead.

The vacancy for the striker's position emerged after the club lost top striker Rob Hulse for the rest of the season with a foot injury.

In response to the question who the fans would most like to see partner Stead up front, Shelton polled 36 per cent of the votes, four percentage points above former Watford striker Danny Webber who had 32 per cent.

Christian Nade, who scored in a 1-0 upset win over Arsenal earlier in the season was the man who got the preference earlier, but has not impressed. He was third in the polls with 23 per cent. Colin Kazim-Richards was the least favoured of the available strikers getting a meagre four per cent of the votes.

With his searing pace and eye for goal, which he demonstrated while scoring for Jamaica in a 1-1 draw with Panama recently, Shelton could no doubt be an asset to the team which needs goals to keep them above the bottom three teams which will be relegated at the end of the season.

SheffieldUnited yesterday slipped into the relegation zone after Charlton grinded out a draw against Manchester City to inch above Sheffield United on goals scored.