'Not totally ruled it out' - Sheffield United and Doncaster Rovers hero Billy Sharp offered playing return
A non-league club have approached Sheffield United and Doncaster Rovers icon Billy Sharp
Sheffield United and Doncaster Rovers icon Billy Sharp has been asked to come out of retirement by AFC Rushden & Diamonds.
The eighth-tier club have made it to the FA Cup first round proper and are looking to claim a giant-killing victory over League One outfit Burton Albion on November 7.
Sharp had a loan spell at Rushden & Diamonds in 2005, six years before the club’s demise and the subsequent formation of a phoenix club.
Billy Sharp offered chance to play again
The 40-year-old has claimed to have been asked to join the phoenix club for their FA Cup tie - and has not ruled out a retirement U-turn.
He told The Non-League Paper: “Yes, Rushden have asked me to play for them in the FA Cup first round. I’ve still not totally ruled it out.
“They were the first club I ever scored a goal for. To go back after all those years, and to score my 300th goal for them in the FA Cup - it would be such a great story, wouldn’t it?
“I still remember when [Sheffield] United spoke to me about going on loan there. With all due respect, I didn’t know who Rushden & Diamonds were. I didn’t even know where it was in the country.
“I actually travelled down from Sheffield with a guy called Adrian Littlejohn, who I’d watched as a fan at Sheffield United. He was coming towards the end of his career and I was actually signed as his replacement at Rushden.
“But we he was absolutely amazing with me and there were so many of his little words of wisdom that I’ve kept with me over the years. He was actually one of the first people who said to me, ‘Enjoy it, embrace, play as long as you can because it’s gone in a flash’. Now I’m saying the same thing.
“Lots of things have changed since then. I wore a massive shirt, I had a terrible haircut. It was League Two, fast and furious, constant balls into the box - a lot less tactical.
“As the years have gone on, football has become a very tactical game. Everyone is trying to cancel each other out instead of just playing rock ‘n’ roll football and having a tear up.”
Billy Sharp’s retirement
Sharp, who made 377 appearances for Sheffield United across three spells, recently hung ups his boots after spending two seasons at Doncaster.
He signed off in style with the latter, netting a hat-trick on the final day of the season to take his career goals tally to 299.
The former Leeds United and Hull City frontman recently spoke of his desire to move into coaching - but it appears he may not have closed his playing chapter.