Sheffield United skipper Billy Sharp makes an honest admission

Despite rejecting suggestions the jibes have been a motivation since helping Chris Wilder’s side secure promotion last season, the 34-year-old did admit his colleagues enjoy silencing the critics after also being written-off at the beginning of the campaign.

Sharp said: “I’ve always believed I could do it in the Premier League. I used to hear it all the time, about being too slow and two fat.

“I was (fat) for about six months of my career. I don’t even think I’m slow, I’m pretty sharp off the mark.

“I’m a traditional centre-forward who gets on the end of chances my team mates provide. I’m not someone who takes three people on and whacks it in the top corner. But as long as it says ‘Sharp - Goal’ then that’s all that matters.

“I’ve always been hungry to score goals and will be until the day I die.”

Despite becoming the most prolific marksman in English football this century during United’s climb out of the Championship, Sharp has been the subject of scrutiny through his career with folk questioning his ability at the highest level.

After opening his account for 2019/20 on the opening weekend of the campaign, the former Doncaster Rovers, Leeds and Scunthorpe striker netted the match-winner when United beat Norwich City in March. That was the final time Wilder’s men, who are seventh in the table, took to the field before the fixture calendar was suspended because of coronavirus. Only five points separate them from fourth placed Chelsea.

“I saw loads of pieces writing me off, writing other individuals off and writing us off as a club,” Sharp, speaking to the PFA, continued. “But deep down we had the belief we would do well.

“The aim was to stay up in the first year but we knew we could do a lot better. Hopefully we can build like we have done in the last few years.”

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