Billy Sharp has explained why he ended up angering Wrexham fans and butting heads with Phil Parkinson at the end of a fiery FA Cup clash.
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Blades pushed all the way by Red DragonsReplay required at Bramall LaneTempers threatened to boil overWHAT HAPPENED?
The former Sheffield United striker lined up against the Red Dragons in the fourth round of the 2022-23 FA Cup. The Blades survived a serious scare at SToK Racecourse and snatched a dramatic last-gasp winner in an action-packed replay at Bramall Lane. Sharp was the man to net the decisive goal and made headlines for his antics afterwards – as he gestured towards the away support and became involved in a heated argument with Wrexham boss Parkinson.
AdvertisementGetty/GOALWHAT SHARP SAID ABOUT WREXHAM
Explaining how all of that happened, Sharp has told : “People know what I’m like with fans – I take a lot, I give a lot. It’s part of the game. Without fans, football is nothing. Wrexham fans were in full noise that day and they were brilliant. They were loud, got right behind their team and it was a proper FA Cup tie over the two legs. I’m the Sheffield United captain, the FA Cup means a lot to me personally. I wanted to win. I could see how much Wrexham players, fans, everything wanted to win. I didn’t want that happening on our patch when I was responsible for my team that day. A few things happened. First leg, one of our lads got sent off, got provoked. We scored in the last minute when they thought they’d won it. There were other things in the press. The documentary, everyone wanted Wrexham to go on this run. I wanted to get to the semi-final of the FA Cup, as we eventually did, to play at Wembley, which I had never done before."
Sharp went on to say of how he came into confrontation with Parkinson, and how Wrexham’s star striker was happy to shrug off the entire incident: “I went over to my mum, my dad, wife, kids, my friends, as I normally do. I blow my kids a kiss, getting coins, having a bit of banter. I do a little crying gesture to the Wrexham fans – which I could have done a lot worse. Parky comes running over – ‘What are you saying!’ He is giving it loads because I’m having a bit of banter and his team has just got knocked out, I’m happy we’ve gone through and spoiled the underdog story. I’ve had a bit of beef with Parky before. No grudge. There was no need for him to get involved after the game. He was trying to look out for his fans. Then Paul Mullin came across, that was fine and had a bit of banter with him. [Ben] Tozer was giving it all game. Not just me, most of the players.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Sharp’s antics ended up earning him a cameo in the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series, with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney offering their take on proceedings, while the 37-year-old frontman has been linked with a shock move to North Wales after leaving MLS side the LA Galaxy as a free agent.
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR SHARP?
It remains to be seen where Sharp will next be playing his football, but a sensational switch to Wrexham is a possibility after his departure from MLS. It would be interesting to see what kind of reception he would receive in North Wales after his FA Cup antics.
