Sheffield United striker Billy Sharp reveals his favourite things about Yorkshire

Born in the city, Sharp has played for several clubs, including Leeds United and Doncaster Rovers, scoring more than 240 goals in over 500 appearances in all competitions. He reveals his favourite things about Yorkshire.

What is your first Yorkshire memory? I’m originally from the Pitsmoor area of Sheffield and I think I’d be five or six when I got my first Sheffield United kit. I’d play football in the streets or in the garden. Growing up as a kid, my hero was Brian Deane, the United striker. I wanted to be like him. I dreamt of becoming a professional footballer and then to do it and captain Sheffield United is beyond my wildest dreams.

What is your favourite walk or view? When we aren’t in lockdown my kids like a place called Surprise View, which is just before Hathersage. We like to walk up to Lion King Rock and once we’ve climbed to the top we have a photo and walk back down. It’s only five minutes away in the car and it’s really peaceful. As for my favourite views, I would say what we see on our walks in the Peak District. We are on the edge of it and in only a short time you can be in the middle of nowhere.

What is your idea of a perfect day or perfect weekend out in Yorkshire? We like going to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, near Doncaster. It’s one of the best places in this part of the world to go to with the kids, who love the animals. Another place which we enjoy going to is Cannon Hall Farm, near Barnsley, where, again, the kids like seeing all the animals.

What do you think it is that gives Yorkshire its unique identity? I think it’s down to the people here because they are welcoming and friendly. I know many professional footballers who came to play in Yorkshire and ended up staying. People outside Yorkshire have this perception that it is cold, dull and always raining here and the sun never shines. But that is not the case. Yorkshire is brilliant with lots of great places and I am proud to be part of a county that has produced so many famous and successful people, including fine sportsmen and women.

Which Yorkshire sportsman or sportswoman, past or present, would you like to take out for lunch? I’d pick golfer Matt Fitzpatrick, from Sheffield, who is one of the best younger golfers in the world. Matt played in the 2016 Ryder Cup and tied for seventh place in the Masters in the same year. Over lunch, I’d pick Matt’s brains because you can learn from people you respect and look up to. I’d like to hear his views on how he copes with things when they go wrong or when he’s on top.

Which is your favourite pub or restaurant? The Crown in Totley. It’s on a quiet lane and sitting out there in the summer is most enjoyable. I also ride a road bike, so it’s nice to stop there and have a refreshing drink. As for restaurants, one of my friends owns the Tickled Trout at Barlow. We used to go there quite regularly as a family on a Sunday and have lunch in front of the fire.

Do you think Yorkshire has changed for the better or worse since you’ve known it? Overall, for the better. Leeds, for example, has some of the best shops in Yorkshire and here in Sheffield, Kelham Island which was run down, is now an up and coming part of the city with bars, cafes and restaurants. The Moor area, too, has improved a lot since the days I went there with my grandparents. Sheffield is definitely on the up and having Sheffield United in the Premier League is great for the city and for sport in the county.

Which Yorkshire stage or screen star, past or present, would you like to take out to dinner? Damian Williams who’s always the big star in the panto at the Lyceum in Sheffield. He’s brilliant on the stage. In 2018, he starred in Peter Pan and last Christmas he was in Cinderella. He’s very funny and takes the mickey out of Yorkshire.

What is your favourite food shop? I think that would have to be Cannon Hall Farm.

If you could choose somewhere in Yorkshire or some object to own for the day, what would it be? The Crucible in Sheffield. I go there every year to watch the snooker, and preferably Ronnie O’Sullivan. It’s only a small venue but the atmosphere is electric on the day of the final. It’s so quiet but can suddenly erupt with one good shot, a century break or a match-winning moment.

Following the death of your son from gastroschisis shortly after his birth in 2011, you began a major fundraising effort to finance research into the illness. How important is that work for you? We do our part to help. We continue to raise money for Martin House, the children’s hospice in Boston Spa, near Wetherby. I have an annual football match for four different age groups in Sheffield at my old club, Middlewood Rovers on Waverley Lane in Handsworth. Everything goes to Martin House and a small amount to the club for helping out because it’s important to support grassroots football.

If a stranger came to Yorkshire and you had time to take that person to one place only, where would it be? We are very lucky living where we do in Dore because we are so close to the countryside and so I would take that person to where we go as a family. You can drive towards the Peak District and from the top see across towards Sheffield and also to Manchester. It’s really beautiful to go up there.

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