Sheffield United boss breaks silence on Billy Sharp departure and transfer issue it created

Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom has admitted he was “disappointed” to see Billy Sharp leave his boyhood club this summer after opening up on the challenge that the legendary striker’s departure causes in the transfer market this summer.

Sharp headed up a list of four senior players who were informed that their contracts would not be renewed at Bramall Lane this summer, with Enda Stevens, Jack O’Connell and Kyron Gordon moving on while United’s preparations for the top-flight continue.

Sharp had been desperate to stay and continue his association with his boyhood club but is now looking for the next challenge of his legendary career, and Heckingbottom broke his silence on the 37-year-old’s departure this afternoon.

“I think everyone knows I wanted to keep the squad together, so I’m disappointed,” Heckingbottom admitted. “I get it, and sometimes things are out of your control. But what we do lose with Enda and Billy is the thing I’ve been trying to protect and promote; that character about the group of players and how we’ve approached things. And that has to be protected in what we bring in to replace it.

“We’re going to be working to the budget we’ve been given, which is great, but the more players you have to find within that budget the harder it gets. So from that end, I’m disappointed of course but I have to accept it and I understand it. But what we are losing, we have to try and recreate it in something else.

“But it makes the recruitment process that little bit harder because we’re not freeing money up. It’s not like we’re not selling those players and we have to generate more players with the same money.”

Heckingbottom’s budget of £20m will be stretched even further if any of Ben Osborn, John Fleck and Jack Robinson, who have been offered new contracts to remain at Bramall Lane, decide to continue their football journeys elsewhere.

“We have to attack it we have to make it as exciting as we possibly can,” Heckingbottom, speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield, added. “I’ve got to hide the disappointment and make sure we’re pushing forward and being aggressive as we can.

“We can’t fritter away and then start flapping about at the end of the window; we have to be on the front foot and try and make things work for us. We know the positions we need and we’re speaking to a lot of people, a lot of phone calls and videos watched and that’s it for the next two months now. That’s the focus.”