Championship's all-time 'bagsman' Sharp plots next steps

Retired Sheffield United legend Billy Sharp has said he would like to move into coaching and management.

The 40-year-old announced his retirement from playing earlier this month after a career where he scored 299 goals in all competitions.

"I've had a plan for 10 to 12 years where I was getting my coaching badges and done my LMA [League Managers' Association] football management diploma," he told BBC Radio 5 live's 72+ podcast.

"Coaching is something that I do want to get my hands tied into and the end goal would be to hopefully be a manager.

"Going into clubs and using my contacts is something that I'm going to do.

"I'm quite enjoying my time off with family and the punditry side of things which I think is helping me watch a lot of football and meeting new people and seeing a lot of people I know.

"To be in football still is something I've very passionate about."

Sharp revealed to BBC Radio Sheffield last week that he had been approached about joining Chris Wilder's staff at Sheffield United last season when he was still playing for Doncaster Rovers but the move was blocked.

Sharp scored his first goal in the Football League during a loan spell with Rushden & Diamonds in the fourth tier in February 2005 and rounded out his career with a hat-trick for Doncaster at Peterborough in May this year.

He won six promotions and scored in all the top four divisions of English football, as well as during a short stint with MLS side LA Galaxy in 2023.

He enjoyed major success with boyhood club Sheffield United in his third spell with the Blades, scoring 109 goals in 282 league games and helping them win three promotions, between 2016 and 2023.

Since the second tier of English football rebranded as the Championship in 2004 nobody has scored more than his 130 goals at that level.

72+ host Aaron Paul asked him what it takes to be "a bagsman".

"There's all different ways to score goals. There's staying calm, there's wanting to get hurt to get on the end of something, there's individual parts that people don't see like visualising things and watching clips," Sharp added.

"There's all little bits of the tool bag that you need to be a top striker.

"I feel like I've done well at my trade, I know my limitations, I know I've not had the speed or the skill but I've had a knack of being in the right place at the right time.

"I feel as I got older and more experienced in the game I've become a better player and not just a goalscorer.

"I've had to work hard on my career and it takes time."