Billy Sharp is proud to be Sheffield United’s talisman

The coronavirus pandemic has brought out the best in some, and Sheffield United’s Billy Sharp is a case in point.

The 34-year-old has been trying to keep up his team-mates’ spirits in lockdown, helping to organise a charity to support the NHS, taking part in other fund-raising initiatives, dealing with pay negotiations, posting happy memories on social media and commentating as he films his seven-year-old son Leo recreating classic goals, occupying other children supposed to be spending their Easter holidays at his new academy, homeschooling, spreading Government messages about staying at home and cheerleading for key workers. Those are just the bits we know about.

Earlier this week, manager Chris Wilder called making Sharp his captain the best decision he made, and now more than ever it is easy to see why.

“Whenever I put the armband on, whether it’s in League One or the Championship or away at Manchester City, it means the same to me, I’m as proud as ever to wear it,” says Sharp.

“I try and conduct myself in a way that a captain should and I want my players to follow that. I try to play to the best of my ability, score goals and lead by example.

“I remember to this day the walk we had around the Bramall Lane pitch when he (Wilder) laid out all things he wanted me to do. I’ve tried to grow as a captain and a player. Looking back on what we’ve achieved collectively I’m delighted with how it’s gone.

“I never really thought about being a captain before, I just wanted to play football and score goals, and to do it for Sheffield United was a dream, really. You don’t realise what the captaincy means until you get the armband.

“I got offered it when I was going on my holidays and then I had that walk around the pitch. The first game I put it on was such an honour. To be the captain of the football club I support is such a special feeling.”

Sharp takes his responsibilities in keeping the squad together seriously.

“We’ve got a big Whatsapp group and a few smaller ones with members of staff helping us with training sessions, so I’m in contact with the people in my group every day,” he explains.

“I’ve had to speak to players about certain things and other things that have been put to us. I’ve had video calls where I’ve seen the lads smiling. I’ve got in contact with the overseas lads because it must be really hard for them, especially the lads on their own. Certain players have just signed for the club and must be thinking, ‘What have I done?’

“They’re all in a decent place and training really hard, which is important because the Premier League will start again soon and we need to be ready.

“It has been tough mentally but I’m positive and happy that all the players will be ready when it returns and hopefully they can have their families over when everything’s back to normal to see them doing the things they do for Sheffield United.”

Along with the other Premier League captains, Sharp helped set up the Players Together charity to raise funds for the NHS.

“We were more than happy and proud to donate and help the NHS heroes and frontline workers,” he says. “They’re always heroes, they just don’t always get the plaudits and it’s great to see the country getting behind them.”

He has even done keepy-uppies in his pants to help Doncaster Rovers’ James Coppinger raise testicular cancer awareness.

“I wasn’t too keen on being just in my underpants in front of the world on Twitter but Copps is a great friend and I was more than happy to do it for him and the cause,” he says.

Sharp also makes an effort to spread smiles on social media, and Leo has been recreating great goals in the garden, learning some homeschool history lessons about the greats of the game along the way.

Leo’s goals have inspired others, and those who were due to attend Sharp’s new academy over Easter have been given similar challenges.

The difficult time the country is going through has given us all a bit more perspective.

“This period has shown me how fortunate I am to be a footballer, even though I’ve worked hard to get here,” says Sharp. “As long as I’ve got my kids and my wife and I know my family and friends are safe, that’s the most important things.

“Hopefully we don’t have to go through this situation again while we’re all here, but it’s a tough time. You’ve got to stay strong and make sure you look after the ones in your household to get through it and when it’s over, we’ll reflect on it, take good things out of it and forget about the bad things.”