Billy Sharp: York City, Port Vale & Chesterfield should eye swoops | OneFootball

York City, Port Vale, and Chesterfield should all be eyeing a move for a veteran 40-year-old icon of the EFL this summer...

Few players can say they have had a better career in the EFL than Billy Sharp. The former Sheffield United striker currently plays for Doncaster Rovers, and he is a bona fide legend of the game.

Sharp's career has spanned the breadth of the Football League. Beginning at Sheffield United, Sharp’s journey has taken in spells with Rushden & Diamonds, Scunthorpe United, Southampton, Nottingham Forest, Reading, and Leeds United, alongside multiple returns to Bramall Lane.

However, it is in Yorkshire where Sharp has spent the most significant years of his career. His time with Sheffield United across several spells has given him iconic status, becoming the club’s all-time leading goalscorer in the modern era and a talismanic figure in their rise from League One to the Premier League.

However, you also have to add in his contributions at two stints with Doncaster Rovers. Sharp signed off in style with a hat-trick against Peterborough United. But will the EFL veteran be keen to continue playing?

A relentless finisher with unwavering consistency, Sharp’s longevity and goalscoring record ensure his place among the EFL’s greats. In fact, it's been revealed by journalist Alan Biggs that he has no intention of returning and that he wants to continue playing.

Billy Sharp should move to League Two this summer

Here, we have taken a look at three clubs that could suit Sharp as his career enters the final "season or two", with the veteran sat on 265 league goals across the Premier League (6), Championship (130), League One (111), and League Two (18).

He could edge closer to 300 if he plays in another year or two but what three clubs perhaps suit him most?

Port Vale

Sharp could be an ideal fit for a recently relegated Port Vale side expected to challenge strongly for promotion from League Two. Vale are likely to dominate possession and territory in plenty of matches under Jon Brady after a positive end to the season under his tutelage.

Naturally, a dominant team creating chances would suit Sharp’s penalty-box instincts and finishing ability. At 40, he is no longer suited to playing 90 minutes every week across a demanding 46-game campaign, but a rotation role could maximise his strengths while carefully managing his workload.

That role worked well for him at Doncaster and his experience, leadership, and goalscoring know-how could prove to be invaluable in a promotion push. It makes plenty of sense for them and him.

Chesterfield

Chesterfield could also represent an excellent option for Sharp, irrespective of whether they secure promotion through the League Two play-offs. At the time of writing, the Spireites are firmly in the promotion mix and appear to be building real momentum yet again this season.

It's an ambitious project under Paul Cook, who creates teams capable of scoring plenty. Sharp’s experience and penalty-box quality would add another dimension to a side already capable of competing near the top end of the division with plenty of exciting players in the wide areas and No.10 positions.

Just as importantly, Chesterfield is close to where he has put down roots with his family, making the move appealing from both a football and personal perspective. At this stage of his career, stability, familiarity, and a carefully managed rotational role with a club like them could suit him perfectly as he looks to add to an already remarkable goals tally.

York City

Following a historic promotion from the National League, York City could be another highly appealing destination for Sharp. The Minstermen are building incredible momentum and ambition is clearly peaking around the club under Stuart Maynard. They will almost certainly be fighting it out at the top end of the fourth tier, making them an attractive project for an experienced forward.

He is someone capable of delivering decisive moments at that level after doing so in the league above again this season. Yet again, a rotational role would likely suit Sharp perfectly at this stage of his career. It would allow York to manage his minutes while still benefitting from his goalscoring instincts.

There is also a fitting narrative element to the move, with Sharp having represented so many Yorkshire clubs throughout his career already, making York another logical chapter close to home and familiar surroundings. It's why Rotherham United, also coming down from League One with Vale, could be an excellent alternative for Sharp as well.