Sharp moved to Oldham Athletic in 1991, and helped the newly-promoted club stay in the top flight for three seasons.

He did not immediately become a first team player at Goodison Park, and by the end of the 1980–81 season had still made just six league appearances for the club.

His key role in this golden era led to his inclusion in Everton's "Greatest Ever Team", following a poll in the club's 125th anniversary.

[3] After Gary Lineker's departure to FC Barcelona in the 1986 close season, Sharp had a succession of strike partners.

First he played alongside Paul Wilkinson, Adrian Heath (also a midfielder) and then Wayne Clarke before the arrival of £2million Tony Cottee for the start of the 1988–89 season.

Despite the arrival of another striker – Mike Newell – a year later, Sharp remained a regular player with 33 games and six goals in the 1989–90 season in a three-man attack.

With speculation that manager Howard Kendall (who had returned in November 1990 more than three years after leaving Everton) was about to sign Dean Saunders, it appeared that Sharp's days at Goodison Park were numbered.

When Joe Royle quit as Oldham manager to take over at Everton in November 1994, Sharp took over as player-manager at Boundary Park and they finished in midtable in 1994–95 – a disappointing showing for a side who had retained all but one of their key players (Mike Milligan) from the side that had been relegated from the Premier League and reached an FA Cup semi-final.

After coaching Oldham Athletic, Sharp later served as manager of Bangor City in the League of Wales for one season and led the club to a Welsh Cup victory in May 1998.