With Rotherham United preparing for life in League Two next season, one 40-year-old striker should be on their radar after he confirmed he’ll be available this summer.
Veteran EFL striker Billy Sharp confirmed that he would be leaving Doncaster Rovers this summer after nearly two years at the Yorkshire club.
The forward, who turned 40 in February, looks determined to continue playing next season despite his age.
With the Millers dropping to League Two and in need of a real culture change, the experienced forward should be someone they are considering.
Will Billy Sharp Continue Playing?
From what the former Sheffield United forward has said, it looks a real possibility.
Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield, he said:
“I can play on another year but I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do.
“I’m open to opportunities whether that’s at another club playing or what. I’m gonna see.
“I’ve only ever been a free agent once and I ended up going to LA Galaxy.
“I’m quite looking forward to sitting on my sofa again having a shandy and a few nuts and my missus saying ‘you better sign for someone‘.
“I love football and I love scoring goals. I’m going to leave it wide open.”
Why Sharp is Perfect for Rotherham United on the Pitch
Sharp’s quality in front of the goal is undeniable. The forward has scored 295 senior goals in a career that’s seen him road trip around Yorkshire, via Southampton and Los Angeles.
He’s become more of an impact sub in recent years, but that doesn’t mean the goals have dried up.
In League Two last season, he scored nine league goals in 43 appearances, 19 from the start, for Doncaster Rovers as they won promotion to the third tier.
Even this season, in which he has scored three league goals, he has averaged 1.1 shots per game and 0.3 shots on target per game, while receiving an average Sofascore rating of 6.61.
His ability in front of goal is something the Millers could have probably used this season, never mind next. Even though Sam Nombe has scored 11, their next top scorers are Harry Gray, Joe Rafferty, and Denzel Hall, all on three.
Why Sharp is Perfect for Rotherham United Off the Pitch
The Millers haven’t just been poor on the pitch; they’ve been poor off it. Manager Lee Clark told the Rotherham Advertiser that he’s already warned people at the club about the real possibility of back-to-back relegations:
“I’ve stated that to everybody behind the scenes. If this season was to be repeated – even though you’ve already gone down a league – you’ll go down again. And if you go down to the National League and this season was to be repeated, you’d go down again.”
Previously, Clark has also questioned the commitment of some of his players. Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield, Clark said:
“There’s lots of negatives about the whole squad. What I’ve walked into has been a real eye-opener and very sad to be honest.
“I’ve tried everything and we’ve worked so hard in terms of tactical sessions and work on the training ground.
“We had to go to the stadium this afternoon to go through some tactical work because I couldn’t pick a team yesterday, because some players were calling in sick and some saying they weren’t 100% fit. It’s the same every day.“
He even went as far as to say they cost former boss Matt Hamshaw his job, a man who “would have done everything for this club“.
That culture is something Sharp could help change.
His current manager, Grant McCann, spoke to the Yorkshire Post about the ultimate professional the striker is and how much of a help he is around the club. McCann said:
“Ever since he walked in here, on day one, he’s been absolutely outstanding.
“From a personal point of view, what he brings to the team, to the staff, to the football club, he’s been an absolute diamond, a testament to him and his family.
“He has had a magnificent career up to this point. I’ve got a really good relationship with Bill. I can ask him things, I can ask him to feed things back from the changing room for me and get feedback from him. He’s been brilliant for us on and off the pitch.“
The Doncaster Rovers manager went on to say that Sharp is “still hungry for more”.