Football Season Guide

Wrexham’s fairytale story continued last season as they made history by becoming the first club in English football history to achieve three consecutive promotions. Many were skeptical when Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney completed their takeover in 2021, promising an ascent all the way up to the Premier League, but now the Red Dragons are just one step away from achieving that dream! The large investment Reynolds and McElhenney have made in the club has clearly aided their rise up the rungs of English football, but credit also must go to Phil Parkinson who has guided the team through every stage of their historic promotion three-peat. The manager has often resisted the urge to make glamourous signings and instead brought the right kind of characters into the team, whilst also promoting youth from within. Ollie Rathbone was signed from Rotherham and had an outstanding campaign which led to him being voted the club’s Player of the Season. Homegrown defender Max Cleworth was second top scorer in all competitions and is well on his way to becoming a club legend after being named Young Player of the Season for the third time in four years. The summer has seen forced Parkinson into some tough decisions. One of the club’s greatest icons Paul Mullin has left to join Wigan on loan, after the manager couldn’t guarantee him a place in the starting lineup. Mullin has scored over a hundred goals for Wrexham across their three promotion campaigns. Another veteran striker Steven Fletcher was also allowed to leave, despite scoring some crucial goals in League One last season. For a club that never wants to stand still, real ambition has been shown in the transfer market so far. Ryan Hardie and Josh Windass are proven Championship strikers. Lewis O’Brien is a combative midfielder also accustomed to this level. Centre-back Conor Coady is an England international and a real leader on the pitch.