Sutton United striker Stuart Fleetwood must wait for his chance to impress, and then grab it, says boss Paul Doswell.

The summer signing is yet to get on the scoresheet for United, and has found himself relegated to the bench after six starts garnered nothing.

Craig McAllister and Dan Fitchett are ahead of the 29-year-old in the pecking order, but rather than sulk, Fleetwood had been impressing his manager.

Doswell said: “Stuart has been ultra-professional, and his work-rate in training has been excellent – all he needs is a goal.

Collins: Team spirit key to stubborn Sutton United

“He’s only had six starts, but Dan [Fitchett], Craig [McAllister] and Ross [Stearn] got their chance and have been scoring goals.

“Stuart knows he is just one injury away from getting in that frontline, so he has to be patient, which he is.

“I cannot knock his commitment, he just needs a goal.”

Doswell has also been hailing the performance of his skipper Jamie Collins, who took over the armband when Glen Southam left the Lane at the beginning of September.

The boss said: “Jamie is under-valued by our supporters – sometimes as a manager you know the players who are going to give you seven or eight out of 10 every week, and Jamie does that every single week.

“You can count the mistakes he has made on one finger, and he is a leader of men. He sets the tone for training, and he sets the tone for match days.

“He is a fantastic influence around the camp, he is a massive part of what we’re trying to do.”

He added: “Jamie is a loud and fun character off the pitch, but on it, he is the one shouting and screaming at people if they are not doing their jobs. He is more than happy to pick people out.”