Doncaster Rovers and Sheffield United legend Billy Sharp makes surprise transfer in retirement U-turn
Former Doncaster Rovers striker Billy Sharp will be returning to the world of professional football
Doncaster Rovers legend Billy Sharp has reversed his decision to retire from professional football to secure a shock move back to one of his former clubs.
Sharp, who scored 71 goals for Doncaster Rovers across four separate spells in DN4, announced his retirement from professional football on 11 October.
The decision came less than five months after his exit from the Club Doncaster Sports Village, with his final game for Grant McCann’s side seeing him score a phenomenal hat-trick against Peterborough United on the final day of the 2025/26 League One season.
"It would've been lovely to get the 300th goal but I've had an unbelievable career. I love football... I think I've got every single bit out of my career,” Sharp said at the time.
However, in a dramatic U-turn, exactly three weeks after announcing his decision to bow out of the professional game, Sharp has now agreed to join Northern Premier League side AFC Rushden & Diamonds.
Sharp, who smashed in 299 EFL goals for the likes of Sheffield United, Leeds United, Scunthorpe and Doncaster among others, actually scored his first Football League goals during a loan spell with the original Rushden & Diamonds during the 2004/05 season.
Aged just 18 when he arrived, Sharp helped the team secure League Two survival with nine goals in 16 appearances. It was a hugely productive loan spell which stood him in good stead for the rest of his career as he went on to establish himself as a Football League great.
Rushden & Diamonds were relegated the following year before folding completely in 2011. However, supporters have since formed AFC Rushden and Diamonds as a phoenix club and they’ve steadily been rising through the divisions ever since, notably making it into the first round of this year’s FA Cup for the first time since their rebirth by beating Morecame in the fourth qualifying round.
A club statement reads: “After 21 years away, AFC Rushden & Diamonds are excited to announce that Billy Sharp becomes a Diamond once again. Billy scored the first of 299 goals for Rushden & Diamonds back in 2005. The man who put the ball in the cobblers net, has 299 career goals spanning over 22 years. Featuring for RDFC, Sheffield United, Doncaster Rovers, Southampton, & Scunthorpe to name a few! Billy comes in to help the Club with James Clifton being suspended and we can’t wait to see him pull on the shirt one final time as we go to Burton Albion in the FA Cup 1st Round Proper for the first time ever in AFC Rushden & Diamonds history.”