Bradford City 0, Blackburn 2 - Lee Sharpe wants to be noticed - and not just because of his spiky ice-white haircut.

City boss Jim Jefferies has been trying to find a natural winger to supply the head of Ashley Ward. Sharpe could be that man.

A couple of months ago his bags seemed packed for Portsmouth, where he spent the final three months of last season. But after an impressive pre-season, Sharpe is suddenly in from the deep-freeze and genuinely hoping to force his way into Jefferies' Division One gameplan.

Given a licence to roam, Sharpe's performances have matched his name. In half an hour against Blackburn on Saturday, whenever the ball arrived at his feet, he was looking to take on the full back.

Sharpe said: "I've tried to carry on where I left off at Portsmouth. I had a good run of games down there, filled myself with confidence and have come back feeling pretty fit and comfortable on the ball.

"When we were in Ireland, Billy Brown told me not to stay out on the wing but come in a little bit and get on the ball. If I get that freedom to stay up front and use my major energy further up the pitch, rather than coming back to defend all the time, then that's what I love to do and what I do best.

"I don't mind in the slightest being back here and feel the team have as good a chance as any of going back up. There are a lot of unknown quantities in the First Division and you don't know how it will pan out but I want to be part of what is going on here.

"I'm a positive person and see every pre-season as a fresh start. You go away and recharge your batteries and I always return excited about the games ahead.

"Hopefully I will get a start against Huddersfield on Tuesday so I can go into the season having had a few full games. Touch wood I will stay injury-free and I can fight for a place."

When Sharpe arrived on the hour, City were chasing the game against the Premiership side who had struck first through Italian new boy Chicho Grabbi after 14 minutes.

A slight mix-up between David Wetherall and Andy Myers, whose partnership on this evidence looked the least convincing of the possible centre-half combinations for the Barnsley opener, gave Damien Duff a chink of daylight.

His shot was parried by the stretching Gary Walsh but £6.75 million striker Grabbi could hardly miss the rebound.

Benito Carbone was at the hub of City's best moments in his first game back and his trickery still oozed Premiership quality. But it was the arrival of Sharpe, as Jefferies introduced his subs en bloc, which offered much-needed extra width.

Unfortunately there was no Ashley Ward to get on the end of his crosses - how City need the big fella to be fit for the first league game on Saturday.

The three-pronged attack of Carbone, Robbie Blake and Eoin Jess was all skill and neat flicks to feet. But it was a predictable problem which the young Rovers centre-halves coped with well - they knew the only danger in the air would come from setpieces when Wetherall was pushed forward.

No wonder Jefferies was tempted to keep the centre-half up there when he brought Robert Molenaar on for Myers.

Sharpe's presence on the left flank offered some unpredictability and excitement.

His first dangerous ball just eluded Carbone, then Gareth Grant - who could have had two or three - headed another cross straight at keeper Brad Friedel. Sharpe also had a go himself, although the corner flag was more under threat than the goal.

Rovers, who will be rubbing shoulders with Barcelona next week while City square up to Barnsley, clinched the win when Gordon Greer headed in from a corner 11 minutes from time.

But Sharpe did not feel the gap between the sides was anything to be too worried about.

"The lads have only played a couple of games each and if we'd put our chances away it could have been different. I certainly missed one -- and if you look at their first goal it came from a mistake.

"But I always stay optimistic, that's the sort of person I am. Where does it get you being negative?

"My patience has been massively tested at times, but it's a great game to be involved in and I really enjoyed the half hour I played in. Hopefully if I keep working hard, there will be a chance to get out there for more."

Bradford City: Walsh, Halle (Atherton 77), Jacobs, McCall (Sharpe 60), Wetherall, Myers (Molenaar 60), Locke, Jess, Blake (Grant 60), Carbone, Whalley (Jorgensen 77). Sub (not used): Davison.

Blackburn: Freidel, Curtis, Bjornebye, Tugay, Taylor, Greer, Gillespie, Flitcroft (Dunn 73), Grabbi, Jansen, Duff. Subs (not used): Blake, Filan, Bent, Hughes, Hignett, Berg.

Referee: Chris Foy (St Helens).

Attendance: 3,459. City full back Gunnar Halle is pictured hauling back Blackburn's Damien Duff during the match.