The moment Sheffield United skipper Billy Sharp summed up what Blades are all about

Instead, the Bramall Lane crowd roared their appreciation for a moment in the second half when Ben Osborn played a ball down the right wing that seemed to be heading nowhere.

Instead, skipper Billy Sharp sprinted after it, kept the ball in play and received the adulation his determination deserved. It was a moment that perhaps summed up United under Paul Heckingbottom – Sharp, at 36 and making his comeback off the bench after a hamstring strain, could have been forgiven for looking the other way. But that was never going to be the case. Side, to borrow a phrase from United’s neighbours up the M1, before self.

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“We know what he brings, on and off the pitch,” defender John Egan said of Sharp after the 1-0 win over Cardiff consolidated United’s play-off push.

“He's been a big loss while he's been injured. Someone clipped the ball down the line at some stage and no-one was going to get there. But Sharpy came out of nowhere and made a 50- or 60-yard sprint to get on the end of it.

“With things like that, he leads by example and when the younger lads see him doing that, everyone lifts their game. Billy's a credit to this club and we're very lucky to have him.”

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In the build-up to the Cardiff clash, Sharp saw a clause in his contract tying him to Bramall Lane for at least another season activated and his return is a timely one for his side, as they look to stay ahead of the chasing pack and book their place in the end-of-season shootout.

With fellow centre-forward Oli McBurnie ruled out for the rest of the season, along with Rhian Brewster and David McGoldrick, Sharp’s fitness is even more crucial and he is expected to feature again on Friday evening at Queens Park Rangers as Heckingbottom and his coaching staff attempt to manage his return from the hamstring issue he suffered against Barnsley before the international break.

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