He's arguably Carlisle United's most popular player - and he's ahead of the rest in a new fantasy football game too.

Jon Mellish is the Blues player selected more than any other in Fantasy EFL, the official game launched by the league this week.

The game invited fans to create a team of seven players and two clubs across all three EFL divisions each week - they will then score points based on their actual performances during the season.

In the first two days since the launch of Fantasy EFL, defender Mellish has proved the most popular pick among the United squad.

The 26-year-old - who was the subject of a failed bid from Wigan Athletic earlier this summer - has been chosen in 0.5 per cent of all the teams picked by fans so far.

Jon Mellish is the most popular United player in the new game so farJon Mellish is the most popular United player in the new game so far (Image: Ben Holmes)

Seven other United players have so far been selected by supporters playing the game.

Luke Armstrong, Harry Lewis and Terell Thomas are the second most popular Blues picks, with both in 0.2 per cent of all the teams selected.

Featuring in 0.1 per cent of the teams so far are Dan Butterworth, Charlie Wyke, Aaron Hayden, Cameron Harper and Harrison Neal, with the remaining members of the Carlisle squad yet to be selected.

Doncaster Rovers' Billy Sharp is the most popular League Two player so far, the striker chosen in 5.2 per cent of teams.

Blackburn Rovers' Sammie Szmodics is the most popular EFL player so far, featuring in 58.8 per cent of teams.

Fans can build a seven-man team which includes one goalkeeper, two or three defenders, two or three midfielders and one or two forwards.

A maximum of two players from each club can be selected each game week.

The new EFL game is launched in partnership with Genius Sports and is described as the league's first ever 72-club fantasy football product.

It features nearly 2,000 players from the 72 EFL clubs.

Former Wycombe Wanderers and AFC Wimbledon favourite Adebayo Akinfenwa is helping promote the game, and he said: "There have been a lot of fans calling for a fantasy football game in the EFL and, now, here it is.

“As we’ve seen with other games, fantasy football gets more people even more interested, excited and knowledgeable about what happens on the pitch over the course of a season."

For more details visit the Fantasy EFL website HERE