Billy Sharp opens up on Wrexham wind-up, Sheffield United disappointment and stunning LA Galaxy start

Billy Sharp has opened up on the disappointment of leaving boyhood club Sheffield United earlier this summer, after he says he was promised another year at Bramall Lane. The 37-year-old helped the Blades to another promotion but then bade an emotional farewell, after scoring 129 goals in 377 appearances across three spells.

After a spell without a club, and with interest from clubs in the Championship and League One, Sharp made something of a surprise move to America to join LA Galaxy. Still getting up to speed after no pre-season with a club, he has made up for lost time with six goals in his first six games in Los Angeles - including a hat-trick overnight in a 4-3 win over Minnesota United.

“Playing for someone else in English football was always going to be the hard part for me,” Sharp said, in an intervew with The Athletic. “The opportunities just were not exciting me…Then this opportunity came along, and playing abroad is something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s not something I thought would come around at this stage of my career – I was jumping at the chance to come here, and my family were on board as well, and they’re really enjoying it.”

Sharp was expecting to get one more chance to represent his boyhood club in the Premier League this season. Boss Paul Heckingbottom warned him that he may not get many opportunities - something Sharp refuted, seeing it as a chance to play well and force his way into the team - with the expected loss of Iliman Ndiaye in the new year while he represented Senegal in the African Cup of Nations another factor. In the end neither man remained at Bramall Lane, with Ndiaye sold to Marseille and Sharp then informed that he would be released at the end of his contract in June.

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“I got told I was getting one more year,” Sharp added. “I wanted to go into the Premier League with everybody knowing it was my last year, and then it was up to me whether I’d retire after that. I had my heart set on coming back to play the Premier League and committing to playing whatever minutes it would be. When that opportunity didn’t come, it was difficult to digest.”

Some disappointment may still linger but Sharp’s impact at Bramall Lane will never be forgotten. Blades fans are still keeping a keen eye on his exploits in America - some who live stateside have even travelled to his games with Blades flags to show their support - and his endearing popularity only increased recently with the release of United’s promotion documentary, which saw him winding up Wrexham players after an ill-tempered FA Cup replay at Bramall Lane last season.

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Sharp had scored one of United’s goals in their replay victory, sparking a tunnel fracas with an invitation for Wrexham to stick that on their documentary. The incident is expected to feature on the latest series of Welcome to Wrexham and Sharp said: “If they want to put me in the documentary, go ahead. I think people in Los Angeles probably know me now for scoring goals rather than knocking them out of the FA Cup. People don’t even know the real story. Wrexham will put out what they want to on their documentary, and maybe I’ll put out my own and tell them what really happened.”

Which was?

“I scored the goal, which knocked them out, and a little scuffle happened in the changing room. I don’t really like their manager anyway from past experiences, and he probably doesn’t like me. It’s just one of those things in football where it sometimes gets very overheated. I know what they’re going to do; they’re going to show the clips that make me look like a baddie. That’s fine. I’ll wait to see what happens and have my say afterwards. The record book says we beat them in the FA Cup, so they can have a documentary about it if they want.”