The heartbreaking moment an emotional Billy Sharp breaks down as Sheffield United skipper remembers his late son Luey

Sharp, the United skipper, became the latest subject of United’s ‘One of our Own’ podcast at Bramall Lane, hosted by Paul Walker and United’s head of communications Kevin Cookson.

And, in this poignant clip shared on United’s social media channels, Sharp is understandably overcome with emotion as he recalls the events of 2011, when baby Luey tragically passed away from a condition called gastroschisis.

Sharp, then of Doncaster Rovers, played against Ipswich Town in the days after the tragedy and scored a stunning goal, unveiling a t-shirt which read: ‘That’s for you, son’.

Sharp reveals to Walker how he felt selfish for playing in the game, while his now-wife Jade recovered in a hospice in Wetherby, and how he summoned up the courage to play in the game against Ipswich.

In 2018, Jade bravely opened up to The Star on losing Luey as she prepared to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, to raise funds for Mind and the Gem Appeal.

"It was a relief when he went," she said. "He died a few times and they kept bringing him back to life. By the end, we knew he was going to die so it was like, 'stop fighting now. Stop putting yourself through the pain'.

"He lasted longer than we thought, by about a day or so. That doesn't sound a long time but when you're in that situation, living minute by minute, it feels like an eternity. He had a heart monitor on overnight so if he died in the night, an alarm would wake us up.

“That was horrendous. Now, if I take the little ones into the hospital and hear that noise, I cry.”

The clip went viral, with fans in their hundreds admiring the couple’s strength.

Oliver Rimington commented: “Proud to call Billy a hero and legend. Nobody deserves to go through what Billy and Jade went through. Billy is a great guy, humble and down to earth. Ridiculously proud to see Billy the man he is today, football aside: with a loving family, beautiful kids and his memories.”