Billy Sharp has said he wants to keep playing beyond this season after Doncaster Rovers confirmed he will leave at the end of the campaign. The 40-year-old striker, who helped the club win promotion to League One last season, said he is open to opportunities and is not ready to close the door on his career. Billy Sharp made clear he will take time before deciding what comes next in ET time terms once the season is done.
Sharp leaves door open after Doncaster decision
Doncaster’s announcement brought the latest chapter of Billy Sharp’s career into focus, but the striker’s own message was immediate: he wants to go on. He said he can play on for another year, although he is not yet certain where that might be or even whether it will be as a player at another club.
Sharp said he is open to opportunities “whether that’s at another club playing or what, ” adding that he will “see what opportunities I can get. ” He also said he is looking forward to some downtime, but stressed that he loves football and loves scoring goals, leaving his future wide open.
Billy Sharp and the weight of 295 senior goals
The numbers around Billy Sharp underline why his next move matters. He has scored 295 senior goals in a career that began with hometown club Sheffield United in 2004, and he has scored in all the top four divisions. The only season since his senior debut in which he failed to score in English football was 2023-24, when he spent the first half of the campaign with LA Galaxy.
His spell back at Doncaster was a third time around at the club, and it ended with promotion to League One last season. That success has given his return a clear place in the club’s recent story, even as the current campaign moves toward its close.
What Billy Sharp said about what comes next
Sharp pointed to the influence of other experienced players as he weighs his options. He mentioned Phil Jagielka, saying players like him had kept him going, and added that David McGoldrick is now among the people pushing him on.
He said he had spoken with McGoldrick and wants to meet up soon, adding that he would like to get a team together and play with him again. That sentiment fits the tone of his comments throughout: Billy Sharp is not sounding like a player ready to stop, only one ready to pause and see what is available.
Doncaster’s farewell and the next step
Sharp also spoke warmly about Doncaster and the supporters, saying they have been excellent during his return. For now, the club’s decision marks the end of a spell that helped deliver promotion, while Billy Sharp keeps the focus on the possibility of another season in the game.
The next development will come when the season ends and Sharp weighs up those options in full. For a striker with 295 senior goals, the message is simple: Billy Sharp wants the choice to remain his for a little longer.
