SKIPPER HAPPY AS BLADES SHARPEN THEIR BID
BILLY SHARP has a wealth of potential strike partners after his club’s busy January – and the Sheffield United captain insists he wouldn’t have things any other way.
In his third stint with the Blades, the drama of transfer deadline day passed Sharp by.
But, with 29-year-old target man James Hanson from Bradford City the newest of six front men at Bramall Lane, there will be disappointed faces on a Saturday afternoon.
But Sharp – today celebrating his 31st birthday – believes it’s something that can only benefit his side as they step up their bid to get back into the Championship.
“We’ve all got different qualities,” Sharp said. “And that’s exactly how the gaffer planned it. Caolan (Lavery) was a little bit frustrated at the start of the season, but the staff worked with him. He got stronger and stronger fitness-wise and his confidence is good.
“Sparky (Marc McNulty) has come back and he’s a really good player, too.
“He’s been successful here in the past and he’s hungry to do it again. So, that’s another good decision by the gaffer.”
Despite being one of the larger clubs in League One, United stumbled to an 11thplace finish last term, a position they already look set to improve this time around.
And, with automatic promotion firmly on the mind, Sharp – who had 18 goals heading into the weekend – believes the squad is now in place to make that expectation a reality.
“I believed we could do it last year but, looking back, we were nowhere near good enough,” he added.
“This year, you can see people wanting to win, even on the training ground, and that’s where everything starts.
“We’ve got stronger as a team. There’s much more belief, the training levels are high and we don’t dip in and out.”