Billy Sharp couldn't have written a better script for his Doncaster Rovers farewell. The veteran striker, now 40 years old, delivered a perfect hat-trick in the club's season finale, powering Rovers to a 3-1 victory over Peterborough. And if not for a late offside call, he would have made it four.

"I just wanted that feeling one more time," Sharp told BBC Radio Sheffield, his voice still carrying the thrill of the moment. "But to do it three times – and nearly four – I don't know, I felt very lucky. I didn't think it was real."

The hat-trick hero admitted he went to bed on Friday night dreaming of the perfect farewell. "When I scored the second, I knew there was a chance. I thought, 'Get two before half-time and it's on.'" That dream became reality in what Sharp called a "fairytale" ending to his third spell at the club.

Doncaster captain Owen Bailey was quick to heap praise on the departing legend. "He's someone I've looked up to for a long time, and he's even better than you'd think," Bailey said. "To get a hat-trick in his last game for us – only he could do it. He's just a special person, and it's been an absolute honor to share a changing room with him."

Sharp's three goals pushed his career total to 299 across all competitions over 21 seasons, including his time with Sheffield United. The striker, who scored 14 times this season, couldn't help but joke about the one that got away. "One short of 300... I thought I'd done it. The linesman didn't read the script, did he?"

As Sharp prepares to leave Doncaster this summer, the club and its fans are savoring one last memory from a player who helped secure promotion to League One last season. Bailey summed it up best: "He could be 100 and he'll still score goals. The desire to score – I've never seen anything like it in my whole life."

For Sharp, the feeling was mutual. "It's been an absolute pleasure to play with these lads," he said. "Football just makes memories, and I'm lucky."