Doncaster Rovers should be readying simple Billy Sharp decision ahead of League One | OneFootball

Doncaster Rovers have been celebrating their promotion into Sky Bet League One, but attention has already turned to the summer transfer window.

Doncaster Rovers have been celebrating their promotion into Sky Bet League One, but attention has already turned to the summer transfer window.

The drama of the regular season is often rivaled by that of the off-season, but there is one simple decision that can be made at the Eco-Power Stadium to bypass it all.

Veteran striker Billy Sharp is out of contract in the summer after a year-long return to Rovers. But, he has made no bones about his desire to extend his career, and that is something Doncaster should jump to seal.

Doncaster Rovers should not hesitate to re-sign veteran

Sharp is a timeless footballer, and his nine goals this term have helped Doncaster achieve their much-desired promotion out of the fourth tier.

The former Sheffield United captain and Premier League front-man has admitted that he is not ready to pack up his bags just yet, speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield in the moments that followed Rovers securing the win they needed to finish off their promotion charge.

Sharp netted the crucial second goal as the game entered added time, seeing Doncaster over the line in their 2-1 win over Bradford City in the penultimate game of the term. It was enough to seal automatic promotion into League One, with a stab at the title on the horizon for the final day of the campaign as well.

The mood music is that manager Grant McCann wants Sharp to remain at Doncaster, as the man himself has confirmed in the aforementioned interview with BBC Radio Sheffield.

And, that would be the simple decision to make.

Even though Sharp has not been an ever-present this season, starting only 19 games out of the 42 appearances he has made this term, there is no doubting his quality when he has played.

Sharp has featured in the squad for all but three of Doncaster’s games this season going into the final day, with a suspension for a headbutt against AFC Wimbledon, the other time he has been left out.

Billy Sharp is still capable at League One level

Sharp, who dropped down from Championship outfit Hull City to reunite with Doncaster last summer, has shown his class throughout the League Two campaign.

The 39-year-old has indicated that he wishes to play into his 40s, and renewing his contract for a further season would allow him to do that.

It would not be for novelty purposes though, as Sharp still has a lot to offer. His game-sealing goal against Bradford was the latest of a string of key strikes throughout the term.

He scored the only goal of a 1-0 win against Gillingham early in the season, one of two in a tight victory over Bradford away from home, and one off the bench to secure a critical point against promotion rivals Walsall.

Not only is his goalscoring impressive at his current age, but his mentality has stood the test of time as well. Scoring at vital times has been a hallmark of Sharp’s long and storied career, and that has carried into his return to Doncaster a decade after he exited the club.