Ex Leeds and Sheffield United ace lifts lid on Celtic move that never happened despite Neil Lennon’s advances

Former Sheffield United and Leeds United striker Billy Sharp has revealed how close he came to joining Celtic on two occasions during his playing career, but his deep-rooted connection to the boyhood club at Brammall Lane ultimately prevented him from making the move to Scotland.

The 40-year-old former striker, who enjoyed a prolific career across the English Football League, admitted that Neil Lennon personally contacted him twice in an attempt to bring him to Parkhead. However, despite the opportunity to experience European football, Sharp decided his heart lay with the Blades.

Speaking about whether he had any regrets from his career, the veteran forward insisted he had no major disappointments, although he admitted a move to the Scottish champions could have offered an intriguing alternative chapter.

“No regrets, no. I think one adventure I would've liked to have probably explored was, I had a couple of chances to go to Celtic, which I don't think many people know about,” Sharp explained in an interview with ITV.

“Neil Lennon twice tried to sign me, but I was at Sheffield United and my heart took over. European football, people say you must be mad, but that's how much Sheffield United meant to me.”

Sharp's loyalty to Sheffield United was a defining feature of his career. Having grown up supporting the club, he became a hugely popular figure at Bramall Lane and established himself as one of the most prolific goal scorers in the club's modern history.

Sharp explains why he turned his back on European football

The prospect of moving to one of Scotland's biggest clubs would have represented a significant change, with Celtic regularly competing for domestic honours and featuring in European competition.

Sharp acknowledged that the opportunity was tempting, but he never felt the circumstances were right to leave his beloved Blades. The timing was also a big factor, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, when restrictions meant supporters were unable to attend matches.

He added: “I could have played in Scottish football, could have played in Europe, but I just didn't feel it was right. Especially in Covid times as well, because people were saying, ‘you're mad, it’s Celtic, Rangers... And I was like, 'there's no fans, blah, blah, blah.’”

Interestingly, Sharp also revealed that his personal connection to Scotland had nothing to do with the potential transfer, despite his wife being Scottish and a supporter of Celtic's Edinburgh rivals.

“My wife's Scottish, she's a Hearts fan, so that was nothing to do with it,” he smiled.

Sharp recalls bizarre moment Celtic transfer rumours exploded

The striker even recalled an incident that highlighted just how close the Celtic speculation came to becoming reality. After travelling from Southampton to Scotland to attend T in the Park music festival, Sharp returned the following day to discover his name splashed across the back page of a Scottish newspaper.

“I went to T in the park and I flew from Southampton to Scotland to watch Calvin Harris and people like that. I returned hungover the next day and on the back of the Scottish paper, it was ‘Sharp as a tick’ and it was all over. I was going and I was like, 'wow,' it was close.”

Despite the near miss, Sharp remains adamant that turning down Celtic was not a decision he regrets. Instead, he views it as a possible adventure that might have added another dimension to his career.

He concluded: “That's not a regret, it's just maybe that could have been a little adventure that I would have liked to have explored.”

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