Billy Sharp
Sharp has agreed a two-year deal to lead Leeds' attack this season.

Billy Sharp has joined Championship side Leeds United on a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee from Southampton.

The 28 year old has spent the past two seasons on loan at Nottingham Forest, Reading and Doncaster Rovers and has finally secured a permanent move away after being deemed surplus to requirements at St Mary's.

Sharp, who has scored 146 career goals throughout his Football League career, becomes Leeds' ninth signing of the summer and provides a genuine replacement for last season's top scorer Ross McCormack, who has joined Fulham.

"Absolutely delighted to have signed for Leeds united [sic]," Sharp wrote on Twitter.

A short Southampton statement added: The club would like to thank Billy for his service to the club, particularly during the promotion-winning season from the Championship where his late run of goals helped the team to a second place finish.

The forward joins Stuart Taylor, Marco Silvestri, Tommaso Biachi, Gaetano Berardi and Nicky Ajose as Leeds' six permanent signings, while Souleymane Doukara, Zan Benedicic and Giuseppe Bellusci have all move to Elland Road on loan.

A season which owner Massimo Cellino has demanded end in Leeds' return to the Premier League began in nightmare fashion with an opening day defeat to Millwall on Saturday.

That result was followed up with victory over Accrington Stanley in the League Cup first round thanks to Doukara's double, and manager David Hockaday was delighted with the loanee's performance.

"On Saturday he froze," he said. "It was against Millwall in front of a big crowd, it was his first game and he didn't handle the occasion. But he will be better for that.

"We had a chat with him and he performed very well on Tuesday night."

Hockaday added: "The second half showed where we really are, we are a work in progress," he said. I wanted to get people on the pitch and give them an experience of Elland Road.

"Until we conceded, which was really poor defending, we were comfortable. But the last five or seven minutes and it was 2-1 it was squeaky bum time.

"Overall it was a good performance in the first half and we showed glimpses of what we are about but it shows that we have got a lot of work to do."