Luton Shelton
Personal information
Date of birth	November 11, 1985 (1985-11-11) (age 23)
Place of birth	Jamaica
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Vålerenga
Number	21
Senior career1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
2004–2006 2006–2007 2007–2008 2008– 2009	Harbour View Helsingborg Sheffield United Vålerenga → AaB (loan)	043 (38) 028 (17) 028 0(1) 012 0(5) 011 0(1)
National team
2004–	Jamaica	049 (27)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of January 29, 2009. * Appearances (Goals)

Luton Shelton (born November 11, 1985) is a Jamaican football striker. He plays for Vålerenga.

[edit] Club career

[edit] Helsingborg

In August 2005 he was due to move to Football League Championship club Burnley after a successful pre-season trial. They attempted to sign Shelton however a work permit was rejected, and in August 2006 he joined Helsingborg from the Jamaican club Harbour View for about £100,000. During the 2006 season, he scored nine goals in 19 games in the Swedish Allsvenskan despite playing only irregularly due to repeated injuries. He scored a total of 17 goals in 28 competitive matches, including five goals in four Swedish Cup matches on the way to Helsingborg's victory in the competition. His 120th minute equaliser against to-be league champions Elfsborg in the quarter-final, which Helsingborg won 5-3 after a penalty shootout (4-4 after extra time), and the 1–0 goal in the final against Gefle were two of his highlights at the club.

[edit] Sheffield United

Shelton signed with Sheffield United on a three-and-a-half year contract for a fee of £1.85 million on January 15, 2007 and was officially unveiled by the club on January 24, 2007.^[1]

Despite being signed amidst much fanfare Shelton did not make his full début until April 2007 in a 2–0 loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford.^[2] He made only three more appearances for the Blades in the Premiership that season as they unsuccessfully battled to avoid relegation.

With the arrival of James Beattie and Billy Sharp at Bramall Lane during the close season he found games no more easy to come by under new manager Bryan Robson. Initially limited to cup appearances he scored his first competitive goals for the club, netting twice in a 5–0 League Cup win over Morecambe in September 2007.^[3]

As the team struggled he began to see more first team action but was unable to turn appearances into goals, scoring only twice more that season. With the arrival of new manager Kevin Blackwell Shelton was sidelined once more.

On July 24, 2008, it was announced that Shelton had been sold to Norwegian side Vålerenga, playing in Tippeligaen, for around £1m.^[4] On announcing his departure Blackwell claimed Shelton did not fit into his team plans saying "...he was a bit of a maverick"^[4]

[edit] Vålerenga

On August 2, 2008, Luton Shelton made his debut for Vålerenga against Fredrikstad. The game ended 1–1, with Shelton equalizing for Vålerenga. On January 28, 2009, Shelton was sent on loan to Danish club Aalborg. At that time he had scored two goals in 11 matches. His loan-period is set to terminate on June 30, 2009.^[5]

[edit] Aalborg BK

Shelton made his competitive debut for AaB in the first leg of the UEFA Cup tie with Deportivo. He scored his first goal for the club in the second leg, as AaB went through to the next round with an aggregate score 6-1. Shelton has since played in the second leg of a UEFA Cup tie against Manchester City and scored. Shelton did not have success in AaB and returned to Vålerenga.

[edit] Back to Vålerenga

Shelton returned to Vålerenga after the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He has started several matches has scored three(3) goals since returning and has seemed to focused on improving his game and is more comfortable in Norway.

[edit] International career

Shelton has been capped at U-17, U-20, U-23 and national level for Jamaica. Shelton scored his 25th goal for Jamaica vs Guadeloupe. He is now the 2nd leading Jamaican goalscorer. ^[6] In June 2008 he scored five goals in two 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying games for Jamaica against the Bahamas. Later the same month, he scored two goals as Jamaica won 7–0 and scored a hat-trick as Jamaica won 6–0.^[7] Shelton is also currently the top goal scorer in 2010 concacaf world cup qualification matches with seven goals.

[edit] Honours

• Caribbean Cup:
  • Winner (2): 2005, 2008
• CFU Club Championship:
  • Winner (1): 2004
• Svenska Cupen:
  • Winner (1): 2006
• Norgescupen:
  • Winner (1): 2008
• Danish Cup:
  • Runner-up (1): 2009

[edit] Personal Life

Luton Shelton has a younger brother Shamar Shelton, who currently plays college soccer at NAIA Lindsey Wilson College, he also played for Harbour View F.C. and Jamaica national U20 youth teams. Luton is also a close friend with senior national teammate Adrian Reid, who shared an Oslo apartment with Shelton, while on loan to Lillestrom in Norway.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Luton Shelton career stats at Soccerbase
• Profile at SUFC.premiumtv.co.uk
• AaB profile

v • d • e Jamaica squad – 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup 1 S. Sawyers • 3 Stewart • 4 Taylor • 5 T. Sawyers • 6 Scarlett • 8 Palmer • 9 Williams • 10 Fuller • 11 Dean • 12 Johnson • 13 Murray • 14 Marshall • 16 Daley • 17 Hue • 18 Stephenson • 19 Reid • 20 Ralph • 21 Shelton • 22 Finlayson • 23 Bennett • 25 Davis • 30 Ricketts • Coach: Downswell

v • d • e Jamaica squad – 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup 1 Ricketts • 2 Vernon • 3 Stewart • 4 Davis • 5 Goodison • 7 Morrison • 8 Campbell-Ryce • 10 Fuller • 11 Shelton • 12 Phillips • 13 Kerr • 14 Marshall • 15 Gardner • 16 Johnson • 17 Austin • 18 Wolfe • 19 Addlery • 20 Thompson • 21 Miller • 22 Cummings • 23 Richards • 24 Thomas • Coach: Whitmore