The boyhood Sheffield United fan held talks with Sheffield Wednesday and Wolverhamtpon Wanderers before moving to Bramall Lane in 2007.
Sheffield United’s Billy Sharp has explained his decision to hold talks with the Blades’ bitter rivals Sheffield Wednesday in 2007.
Speaking on Sheffield Live TV, the Blades captain admitted to visiting three Championship clubs that summer, having scored 30 League One goals for Scunthorpe United the previous campaign.
Wednesday were one of them, along with Norwich City and Wolverhampton Wanderers, but Sharp says their interest was quickly ignored as soon as Sheffield United came in.
Asked how close he came to crossing the divide, the 30-year-old replied: “The closest time was from Scunthorpe when I signed for Sheffield United.
“There was Wolves, Norwich and Wednesday. I couldn’t just say no (to the Owls), obviously it was an ex-manager Brian Laws. He was pestering me and pestering me and I said: ‘look I will come to you’.
Laws
“I went to Norwich, went to Wolves, went to Wednesday – when it was two feet under water. Then I sat down with my dad and chose Wolverhampton Wanderers. I rang Mick McCarthy and said I want to come and meet tomorrow. He said: ‘yep, brilliant’.
“Then about an hour after (Sheffield United manager) Bryan Robson rang. I had to ring Mick McCarthy back, he swore at me on the phone a few times but said: ‘okay, I understand’. The other three clubs was out of my memory straight away.”
McCarthy
Sharp, who began his career at Sheffield United, is now in his third spell at Bramall Lane and claims to be in the best form of his career back at his hometown club.
The former Southampton and Leeds United striker struggled in Sheffield 2 previously, scoring just 13 goals in 66 appearances.
Wednesday later signed Blackburn Rovers striker Francis Jeffers instead, while Wolves brought in Freddy Eastwood, with both players now widely regarded as flops.
Then Owls striker Leon Clarke, who also had two spells at Wolves, is now a teammate of Sharp at United.
Clarke
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