Lee Sharpe exclusive: Manchester United icon on 'tough' Leeds United move and the potential of Bradford City
Lee Sharpe was not the type to shy away from carrying the weight of expectation on his shoulders.
He left Torquay United for Manchester United at the age of 17, stepping into the pressure cooker of the top flight with only fourth-tier experience under his belt.
259 appearances later, Sharpe crossed a rivalry divide with a move to Leeds United in August 1996. Coming at a cost of £4.5m, he was Leeds’ joint-record signing at the time.
The winger had a penchant for vociferously-backed clubs, later representing Sampdoria, Bradford City and Portsmouth.
“There's no tougher fan or spectator than a northerner,” Sharpe told The Yorkshire Post via BetBrain. “They can be pretty brutal but they can support you as well.
“If you're working your socks off, if you're putting it in and it's not going right, they still support you. They understand hard work - and they're great fans to play for.”
A well-documented breakdown of Sharpe’s relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson paved the way for his move to Leeds.
“It wasn't the easiest of moves,” Sharpe conceded. “I was looking to get away from Manchester, obviously me and the manager weren't getting on too well.
“I chatted to Howard Wilkinson, who was an absolutely fantastic bloke, and I loved what he was saying. He was doing a bit of a rebuild of the club and the team after losing the cup final the year before to [Aston] Villa.
“They had Nigel Martyn and Lee Bowyer, Ian Rush had come in from Liverpool. It just seemed a really nice fit at the time.
“Unfortunately, Howard got sacked and things didn't work out how I'd have liked. It was a really, really tough move, but the lads made it a lot easier.”
Wilkinson was shown the door just a month on from the winger’s arrival. His successor, George Graham, implemented a playing style that was not to Sharpe’s preference.
“I think it's mixed feelings when the manager who signed you doesn't quite last the time you were expecting,” he said. “George Graham came in and had a different philosophy - very defensive. I'd say it was pretty dour the first season, there wasn't a lot of goals.
“The second season, I snapped my cruciate. That was really disappointing - I missed the whole of the second season I was there.
“I was fortunate to play with some of Leeds' best players at the time - we had a phenomenal squad. I think it is a little bit mixed feelings - but that's better than not so good.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, he did encounter some friction from the Leeds fanbase considering his history with their rivals from across the Pennines. Football, however, can be incredibly fickle.
“I had one or two that came up to me, [and said] 'once a scummer, always a scummer, why don't you back to Manchester?',” he said. “You've got to expect that. I bump into them years later and they say 'fair play, we like you really'.
“There's still that underlying banter that goes on. In a local pub, I'd always get stick if Manchester United were losing, or if Leeds were winning. But that's all part of the rivalry.”
Sharpe’s injury marked the beginning of the end of his time at Elland Road, but there was success still to be had in West Yorkshire.
After joining Bradford on loan in March 1999, the wideman helped the club end their 77-year long top flight exile. His move was later made permanent and he amassed a total of 64 appearances for the Bantams.
"It was incredible, [they were] an incredible bunch of lads,” Sharpe said. “The last couple of months of the season, when they got promoted, I got to share the celebrations.
“Then they got into the Premier League, seeing all the names and the players that came in [was great], [they] helped keep us up at the first time of asking when everyone had written us off and said we were going to be down by Christmas.
“To stay up after the first year was an incredible achievement. David Wetherall scoring the winner against Liverpool on the last day of the season, it was incredible. It was a great club to be at at the time and I was really fortunate to play with some really good players.”
Under the watchful eye of Graham Alexander, Bradford are now enjoying a resurgence in League Two. Sitting second with eight games to play, the signs are undeniably promising.
“It's a huge city,” said Sharpe. “I think if the team does well, the city rises. I think it is a bit of a sleeping giant.
“I think if you can get people behind it, and get a bit of money in there, and get them up this year, I think they can slowly start climbing.”