COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – In their quest to remedy their lack of goals this season, the Colorado Rapids may be close to scoring an answer.
Jamaican international Luton Shelton is currently spending several days with the Rapids while he mulls his signing options, the team announced Friday.
“We’re one of several options around the world that Luton is looking to advance his career with,” Rapids technical director Paul Bravo told MLSsoccer.com. “He’s a player looking for a new experience and still in the prime of his career.”
Shelton is one of several considerations for the Rapids – who are scoreless in their last 510 minutes of league play – as they look to bolster the striker position while awaiting the arrival of Irish international Kevin Doyle, who will join the club in July.
“We’re looking for a player with experience,” Bravo said. “Luton ticks a lot of the boxes we are looking for: A player that can play in multiple spots, a player who is mobile and a player who is clinical in front of goal.”
The 29-year-old striker offers experience on both the club and international stages. Jamaica’s all-time leading scorer with 35 goals in 75 appearances, his club career has included a stint with Sheffield United (formerly of the English Premier League) as well as stops in Denmark and Turkey. He also played for Norwegian club Valerenga, where fellow Reggae Boy and former Rapid Deshorn Brown transferred to earlier this season.
Most recently, Shelton featured with Russian club Volga Nizhny Novgorod.
“They’re similar players in that they use their athleticism to have an impact on the game,” Bravo said of the similarities between the two Jamaicans. “I think [Shelton] is in a much different place in his career than Deshorn. He’s more polished in front of goal and might have a little more pace.”
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Shelton was clocked with a 40-meter sprint speed of 4.47 seconds during his time with Vålerenga, setting a Norwegian league record.
“He’s a player that we’ve been tracking for a few years now,” Bravo said. “We thought he was a player that could have an impact on our club and in our league.”
