Sharp: Kevin Philip (Kevin)

1992-1995 (Leeds Player Details)(Player Details)

Left Back

Born: Sarnia, Ontario, Canada: 19-09-1974

Debut v Crystal Palace (h): 17-04-1993

5’9” 11st 11lb (1993)

Although born in Canada, he was only eighteen months old when his family returned to England where his father, Frank, once had trials with Tranmere Rovers when playing for Flint Town. Young Sharp was pigeon-toed as a youngster and later had to wear special shoes to correct a problem with the development of his knees, but it did not prevent him from shining as a young footballer. He started with Poulton Le Fylde in the Blackpool League, before joining Blackpool Town. He then went to the FA National School of Excellence at Lilleshall for a couple of years. Together with Jamie Forrester he joined Auxerre in France and the pair cost Leeds £120,000 in September 1992 when Howard Wilkinson spotted their potential. He became a member of the Leeds FA Youth Cup winning team and blond-bomber Sharp proved an effective left-sided player in either midfield or defence, acting as cover for Tony Dorigo in the latter role. An England Under-Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen and Eighteen year-old International, he gained eight caps at the latter level and was in the strong England team of 1992-93, which won the European Championship that season and contained five Leeds players and the likes of Paul Scholes, Robbie Fowler, Sol Campbell, Gary Neville and Nicky Butt who all went on to reach the highest pinnacles of the game, together with several others who had long careers in the Football League. Sharp looked to have a promising future at Elland Road, but slipped down the pecking order, with the emergence of Ian Harte and 30th November 1995 moved to Wigan Athletic for £50,000 with a clause giving United a further £25,000 after the then twenty-one year-old had made twenty appearances and a further £25,000 after forty games. In addition Leeds would receive twenty-five per cent of any profit Wigan made if they sold him. It was a Wigan club record fee at the time. He made his Latic's debut at Home Park, Plymouth, on 9th December 1995 and they went down to Argyle by 1-3. While he soon became a crowd favourite at Springfield Park, he was not always in agreement with the Wigan Management team. After a contract disagreement with Manager Ray Mathias, he spent most of the 1998-99 season on a week to week contract but with the advent of John Benson he signed a new three year contract, but the 1999-2000 season saw his season dogged by injury and suspension. He was twice red-carded and gained the unwanted title of the last player to be dismissed at the Old Wembley Stadium, when he was dismissed with four minutes remaining of normal time with the score at 1-1, in the Second Division Play-off Final against Gillingham, which Wigan lost 2-3, after extra-time. In the 2001-02 season Sharp made only two League and two Cup appearances, all before his final game at Wrexham in the LDV Vans Trophy on 16th October 2001 and on 25th October 2001 his contract was cancelled by mutual consent. Leeds did get the extra £50,000 but no more as after scoring ten goals in one hundred and sixty-two League starts and twenty-two more as a substitute, together with no goals in seven starts and three games from the bench in the F.A. Cup, one goal in seven starts and two games as a substitute in the League Cupand one goal in seventeen starts and oneas a substitute in other games such as the Football League Trophy and Play-off games, he went to Wrexham on 1st November 2001 on a no-contract free-transfer, having picked up a Third Division Championship medal in his first full season of 1996-97 and an Auto Windscreens Shield winners' medal in 1998-99. He made twelve League starts with Wrexham as well as three from the bench as the Welsh side were relegated from Division Two. He moved to Huddersfield Town on 10th August 2002, again on a free-transfer, and while playing thirty-nine games, including one as a substitute, together with one start in each of the F.A. Cup, League Cup and the Football League Trophy, Town suffered the same fate as Wrexham. On 18th June 2003 he moved to Scunthorpe United on a free-transfer, where he was a regular in his first season but hardly played in the second season as Scunthorpe gained promotion and he moved to Shrewsbury Town on a free transfer on 2nd July 2005. He had scored twice and made forty-one League starts and five games from the bench, together with six games in the F.A. Cup, one being from the bench, two starts in the League Cup and four starts in the Football League Trophy, in his two year stay with the Irons. On arrival at Shrewsbury he was appointed club captain, however, in early 2006, loss of form resulted in the Shrewsbury fans turning against him, and the Manager was forced to drop him from the team at the end of February 2006. He was released at the end of the season after scoring once, a penaty, in thirty League games, three of which were as a substitute, together one start and one game from the bench in the League Cup. He played in pre-season games with Guiseley and joined them on a short term basis, but he joined Scottish First Division side Hamilton Academical, on an amateur basis in November 2006. He made his debut against Livingston in a 1-1 home draw on 2nd December 2006. He was released by the club at the end of January 2007 due to the return of other experienced players in his position, having played only eight games. He then joined Northwich Victoria in August 2007, where he became player-coach alongside Neil Redfearn. He played seven games before being released in December 2007. He obtained his UEFA B license and coached the Under fourteens at the Wigan Athletic School of Excellence until he was appointed assistant coach to Simon Weaver at Harrogate Town on 9th June 2009. He presently works for First E11even Sports Management as a Football Consultant, having joined them in March 2011.