BLADES WILL KEEP BILLY SHARP AND RARIN’ TO GO

BILLY SHARP has been assured that his love affair with Sheffield United is not over.

The Sheffield-born striker (above) feared his days at his boyhood team were numbered after falling down the pecking order at Bramall Lane.

Leon Clarke, Clayton Donaldson and new-boy James Wilson, hired on loan from Manchester United, have all started ahead of Sharp in recent weeks. But Blades boss Chris Wilder (below) insists Sharp remains key to his side’s push for promotion and FA Cup glory.

That is why he has turned down Bradford City’s request to take the United skipper on a temporary deal for the rest of the season. Sharp, who turns 32 next month, is set to lead the Blades into fourth-round action at home to Championship rivals Preston today, with Wilder declaring: ”Billy won’t be going anywhere, I won’t consider that.

“He has got a big part to play here because he brings something important to the table – and you never know what’s around the corner.

“I am looking forward to managing Billy through an exciting second part of the campaign. We’ll assess where we are at the end of the season, and players will assess that too.

“I appreciate they all want to play, but it’s not an individual sport. That’s what we have built our group on, and I’ll always explain why people are out of the team.

“Players have to be prepared to come in to the side and then maybe step out. They have to accept that – whether they are 19 or 20 or the most experienced of players.

“Nobody here is an automatic pick, and what pleases me most of all is that I’ve got a group of lads who are competitive.”