Fans vote for Sutton recall.(Sport)

BLACKBURN striker Chris Sutton should be given a World Cup reprieve, according to a fans' survey.

Sutton was given the nod ahead of World Cup hopefuls Dion Dublin, Paul Merson and Les Ferdinand in a poll of supporters on the FA Carling Premiership's Internet site.

World Cup contenders Darren Anderton, Rob Lee, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Ian Walker and Andy Hinchcliffe also failed to make the fans' squad.

Sutton, 25, was the Premiership's 18-goal joint top scorer with Michael Owen and Dublin, but has been frozen out by coach Glenn Hoddle after refusing to play in a B match against Chile in February.

But more than 35 per cent of fans said Sutton should be welcomed back into the England squad, and the survey has received backing from Blackburn fans.

Jim Norris, of the Blackburn supporters' club, said: "It's not just the whole of Blackburn who think he should be playing for England but a lot of the country think he should go to the World Cup.

"He was the Premiership's joint top scorer along with Dion Dublin and Michael Owen and they've been given a chance, so why not Chris Sutton?

"It would be for the good of the country and our World Cup chances if Chris Sutton and Glenn Hoddle could resolve their differences."

Sutton was the fourth most popular striker in the survey - behind Alan Shearer, Owen and Teddy Sheringham - after Ian Wright pulled out with a hamstring injury.

There was a vote of confidence for Liverpool's Steve McManaman, who is under threat from Hoddle's World Cup axe. A huge 84.9 per cent of fans said the Liverpool player should be in the squad.

More than 2,100 fans took part in the survey, making it one of the most popular conducted on the Internet site.

Every fan named a squad, with goalkeeper David Seaman the most popular player, being picked by 98.5 per cent of participants.

Newcastle striker Shearer was second with 97.4 per cent, followed by Arsenal defender Tony Adams in third with 96.5 per cent.

Coach Hoddle, currently trying to trim the remaining 28 fit players in his provisional World Cup squad, names his final 22 on Monday.

SQUAD: GOALKEEPERS.- Seaman (Arsenal, 98.5%), Flowers (Blackburn, 61%), Martyn (Leeds, 60.2%).

DEFENDERS.- Adams (Arsenal, 96.5%), G Neville (Man Utd, 91.7%), Le Saux (Chelsea, 87.1%), Campbell (Tottenham, 80.6%), Southgate (Aston Villa, 79.5%), P Neville (Man Utd, 70.3%), Keown (Arsenal, 56%).

MIDFIELDERS.- Ince (Liverpool, 95%), Beckham (Man Utd, 94%), McManaman (Liverpool, 84.9%), Scholes (Man Utd, 83%), Gascoigne (Middlesbrough, 80.6%), Batty (Newcastle, 63.3%), Butt (Man Utd, 54.9%).

STRIKERS.- Shearer (Newcastle, 97.4%), Owen (Liverpool, 93.7%), Sheringham (Man Utd, 75%), Sutton (Blackburn, 35.5%), Merson (Middlesbrough, 32.5%).