Sheffield United captain Billy Sharp has revealed he is 'hungrier than ever' to succeed at Bramall Lane ahead of the upcoming season, in a response to a Blades fan on Twitter.

35-year-old Sharp missed the latter end of last season after going under the knife in an attempt to resolve a thigh injury and made just 16 Premier League appearances during the 2020/21 campaign, being unable to save the Blades from relegation after failing to win any of their opening 17 league matches.

One of the reasons why the South Yorkshire side struggled last term was due to their impotent attack, with David McGoldrick the only Sheffield United forward to step up and score a respectable number (eight) of goals and the likes of Oliver McBurnie and Rhian Brewster failing to make their mark.

 

 

But another option has emerged for new manager Slavisa Jokanovic at Bramall Lane, with Sharp working his way back to full fitness during pre-season and in contention to make his return in time for the Blades' opening game of the season against Birmingham City on Saturday night (8pm).

In a response to a fan who made their case for the 35-year-old to start ahead of the likes of McBurnie and Brewster, Sharp replied on Twitter yesterday evening saying: "100 percent, I’m hungrier than ever, can’t wait for the season to start."

Lys Mousset, who has performed well in pre-season, Oliver Burke and teenager Daniel Jebbison are additional options the Sheffield United manager could utilise, although the latter is currently being linked with a trio of League One clubs in a potential loan move.

The Verdict:

Due to their lack of goal threat last season, Sharp is well in contention for a starting spot at the weekend despite the competition he faces and the fact he's now 35 years old, with Jokanovic potentially keen to focus more on the future.

The forward shouldn't be written off with his glorious goalscoring record in the EFL from over the years - and his 23 goals in 40 Championship games during their promotion-winning 2018/19 season shows what he can do if an adequate amount of service is provided to him.

The potential addition of Harvey Elliott could go a long way in improving their creativity department if Liverpool sanction this loan move to Bramall Lane.

But there's no doubt Sharp will need to be on the top of his game with McBurnie's previous proven record with Swansea in the Championship and Mousset's impressive performances during pre-season. It's now down to him to impress Jokanovic throughout the season with consistent performances.