Here's how Sheffield United’s John Lundstram became an unlikely early-season Fantasy Premier League hero

The growing popularity of online sports-based games, often referred to as ‘ESports’, is showing no sign of slowing in momentum, after emerging as a highly engaging, competitive pastime over the last few years.

Fantasy Premier League (FPL), the competition's official online game, is the top dog when it comes to fantasy football, and boasts a dedicated following of over six million players across the world.

Long gone are the days of painstakingly filling in team sheets from the newspaper, and having to post away your transfer requests to a mysterious address every week, while frantically trying to keep your own scores throughout the campaign.

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Years down the line, I still shudder when recalling the moment of abject horror I experienced after forgetting to transfer out my injured Alessandro Pistone for three weeks on the trot.

These days, it can all be done in the click of a button, which has made the game a far more engaging experience, and kept players gripped throughout the season thanks to highly competitive league tables – rather than sacking it all off after a week or two, as was once the norm.

This season, Sheffield United's John Lundstram has defied his doubters with an excellent start to the campaign, and this has been reflected on FPL too, where he's currently the highest scoring defender on the game - ahead of the likes of Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Manchester City's Kyle Walker.

That's right, 'defender', not midfielder. Back when the player database was released earlier in the summer, the 25-year-old was mysteriously slotted into a different position, allowing fans in the know to capitalise on the whimsical decision/glaring error made by the FPL creators.

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The game rules dictate that defenders earn significantly more points for all-important clean sheet bonuses, as well as goals and assists. The digital Lunny, and indeed his 'owners', have been reaping these rewards this season, with the Blades man scooping up 32 points - making him one of just two 'defenders' to break the 30 point mark thus far.

Two games in particular have seen him rack up his score - a 14-point showing against Crystal Palace with a goal, clean sheet and three bonus points, and a fine haul of 12 against Everton last weekend, boosted by an assist and a clean sheet. Over a quarter of the game's players now boast Lundstram in their squad, having got wise to his point scoring potential.

Sheffield United, who are tenth in the table after an impressive start to the campaign, now head into a tough run of fixtures including facing both Liverpool and Arsenal at Bramall Lane. It'll be fascinating to see how the Blades, and indeed Lundstram, rise to the challenge against their elite opposition.