Veteran striker Billy Sharp has said he would like to play on next season after Doncaster Rovers announced he would be leaving at the end of the campaign.
The 40-year-old helped Rovers win promotion to League One last season after returning to the club for a third spell.
He has scored a total of 295 senior goals in a career that began with hometown club Sheffield United in 2004.
“I can play on another year but I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do,” he told BBC Radio Sheffield.
“I’m open to opportunities whether that’s at another club playing or what. I’m gonna see.
“I’ve only ever been a free agent once and I ended up going to LA Galaxy.
“I’m quite looking forward to sitting on my sofa again having a shandy and a few nuts and my missus saying ‘you better sign for someone”‘. I’m going to see what opportunities I can get and it’s exciting.
“I love football and I love scoring goals. I’m going to leave it wide open.”
Sharp scored his first goal in the Football League during a loan spell with Rushden & Diamonds in the fourth tier in February 2005.
He has scored in all the top four divisions and 2023-24 is the only season since his senior debut in which he failed to score a goal in English football, having spent the first half of the season in MLS with LA Galaxy.
Sharp enjoyed huge success with the Blades in his third spell with the club between 2016 and 2023.
He scored 109 goals in 282 league games and helped them win three promotions, including two to the Premier League.
The form of ex-Blades strike partner David McGoldrick, who has scored 15 goals in 35 League One games for Barnsley this season, has given Sharp more encouragement to keep going and possibly play with the former Republic of Ireland international again.
“Players like Phil Jagielka [who played on to 40] kept me going and I kept him going and the people keeping me going now are people like David McGoldrick,” he said.
“He’s been flying and Barnsley are missing him lately. I had a good chat with him yesterday and we’re going to try and meet up soon and get a team together. I want to play with him again.”
From Sharp-shooter to calling the shots?
Sharp has said he would like to move into management when he does hang up his boots.
This is his 22nd season in senior football and he believes he can use the experience he has gained across his lengthy playing career with a new generation of players.
“I’m not going to hide away from it, I want to be a manager one day. I know I’m going to have to do work to get there but I’ve been doing that for the past 10 years,” he said.
“I’ve been getting my diplomas and whenever I’ve been sat on the bench at Doncaster I’ve been looking at other managers at what they do and trying to learn from them.
“I’m meeting a lot of people and learning as I go along. I’m an ambitious person.
“I’ve got a lot of experience and I want to use that to go and influence other groups in the next parts of my career.”
But, for now, he is focused on adding to his goal tally and potentially reaching the landmark 300 goals.
Mid-table Doncaster host Stevenage on Saturday before travelling to Peterborough on the final day next week.
A calf injury has kept him out for the past five weeks but he hopes to be involved for Grant McCann’s side in their final matches and sign off in style from a club which he called his “second home”.
“I’ve still got two games left and I’ve scored five goals in two games before so who is to say I can’t do it?”
