Billy Sharp

Early career

Born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Sharp played for Middlewood Rovers Junior Football Club as a young player. He began his career with the youth teams of Rotherham United and Sheffield United, before making his first-team debut for Sheffield United during the 2004–05 season. He joined Rushden and Diamonds on loan in January 2005, scoring 9 goals in 16 games for the club, before moving to Scunthorpe United in 2005.

Scunthorpe United

Sharp joined Scunthorpe on a permanent deal in 2005 for a fee of £100,000. During the 2005–06 season, Sharp was noted for his partnership with striker Andy Keogh, on loan from Leeds United. Keogh and Sharp became part of the most potent strike-force in League One, scoring 38 goals between them, Sharp scoring 23 goals, with Keogh netting 15 of them. Sharp netted 30 times in the league in the 2006–07 season guiding his team to promotion into the Championship. This was the highest total in the 4 leagues of England. He scored a header in the televised defeat to Aston Villa, which only served to enhance his reputation across the nation. In all, he scored 56 goals in 95 games for Scunthorpe during his two seasons at Glanford Park. With his goalscoring feats in the 2006–07 season, there was predictable interest from other clubs in Sharp, and a number of clubs made bids for the striker as the season ended.

Return to Sheffield United

Ultimately, Sharp rejoined Sheffield United on 4 July 2007 for a fee of around £2…

As of 10 March 2026

Sharp's son, Luey Jacob, died in October 2011 from gastroschisis when he was just two days old. Sharp scored a goal against Middlesbrough just two days after the death, and again five days later at Ipswich. Notable tributes included: the Middlesbrough manager, Tony Mowbray, said he was delighted Sharp had scored and called the goal against his club "A goal from heaven"; the Ipswich Town fans applauded him on scoring against them and chanted Luey's name; the Sheffield United fans gave applause for him in the 24th minute (Sharp's club number at United was 24) in an away game at Stevenage; Derby County players wore black armbands in their game against Cardiff City. Along with his partner Jade Fair, Sharp set up The Luey Jacob Sharp Foundation, a charity with the aim of raising money for research into gastroschisis and a support network for families affected by the condition. In December 2012, Sharp's partner Jade gave birth to their second son, Leo. In December 2015, Sharp's third child, a son named Milo Thomas, was born.

Scunthorpe United

Football League One: 2006–07 Southampton

Football League Championship second-place promotion: 2011–12 Sheffield United

EFL Championship second-place promotion: 2018–19, 2022–23 EFL League One: 2016–17 Doncaster Rovers

EFL League Two: 2024–25 Individual

PFA Team of the Year: 2005–06 League One, 2006–07 League One, 2016–17 League One, 2018–19 Championship PFA Fans' Player of the Year: 2006–07 League One Football League One Player of the Year: 2006–07, 2016–17 Doncaster Rovers Player of the Year: 2010–11 Sheffield United Player of the Year: 2015–16, 2016–17 EFL Team of the Season: 2016–17, 2018–19