Manager

Wrexham AFC appointed Phil Parkinson as the club’s latest manager in July 2021 to replace Dean Keates. The Englishman has since taken the Red Dragons back to the Football League.

Parkinson joined the Racecourse Ground natives after Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds became the owners of Wrexham AFC. The Hollywood duo sought to appoint the Englishman after firing Keates. Parkinson was also out of work having left Sunderland in November 2020.

McElhenney and Reynolds chose Parkinson as Keates’ successor as they chased promotion from the National League. He boasted a strong CV following earlier spells in charge of Bolton Wanderers and Bradford City. Parkinson also came in on an initial 12-month rolling contract.

Wrexham AFC manager Phil Parkinson’s past coaching career

Colchester United handed Wrexham AFC boss Parkinson his first position as a manager back in February 2003. The Us sought to sign the Englishman up before he had formally retired as a player as they battled relegation. It was wise as they finished the Division Two term in 12th.

Parkinson stayed at Layer Road through to the end of the 2005/06 season and secured the club’s historic promotion to the Championship. Yet he resigned in June 2006 to take charge of Hull City, only to be sacked by the Tigers in December 2006 after just 24 games there.

Hull City and Parkinson parted company following just six wins and five draws. His spell also ended after losing 5-1 at Colchester United before losing 4-2 at home to Southampton. Yet Parkinson was only out of work until January 2007 when named as Alan Pardew’s assistant.

Pardew took advantage of Parkinson leaving Hull City to add the tactician to his backroom staff at Charlton Athletic. It proved to be a good move for Parkinson, who replaced Pardew at the helm in November 2008. He would also then remain with the Addicks until January 2011.

Parkinson took in 114 games with Charlton across all competitions and enjoyed 43 wins and 36 draws. But the Addicks also dropped into the third tier for the 2009/10 season. They only returned to the Championship as the League One champions in 2011/12 after his departure.

Phil Parkinson built a record for promotion out of League One

Bradford were not put off by Parkinson leaving Charlton in January 2011 when they targeted a new manager in August 2011. He then enjoyed the longest tenure of his career to date at Valley Parade with 274 games. The boss remained in charge of the Bantams until June 2016.

Parkinson’s tenure also saw Bradford enjoy promotion from League Two into League One for 2013/14. They ended the regular term in seventh but beat Burton Albion and Northampton Town in the play-offs. His Bradford also beat Arsenal in the EFL Cup back in December 2012.

Five years at Valley Parade would then lead Parkinson on to be the manager of Bolton from June 2016. He would also enjoy a lengthy, but not as long, tenure featuring 157 games until August 2019. Bolton had moved to appoint Parkinson after their relegation to League One.

The Wanderers would secure an instant return to the Championship with Parkinson at their helm. Yet he could not help the team to re-establish a place in the second tier and endured relegation in 2018/19. But Sunderland were soon on the phone to offer Parkinson their job.

Sunderland took comfort in Parkinson’s record of leading teams out of League One after the Black Cats sacked Jack Ross. But his tenure would not yield promotion and they parted ways in November 2020. He also left the Stadium of Light with Sunderland eighth after 13 games.

Phil Parkinson’s coaching career

Wrexham AFC (2021-present)

Sunderland (2019-2020)

Bolton Wanderers (2016-2019)

Bradford City (2011-2016)

Charlton Athletic (2008-2011)

Charlton Athletic (assistant manager, 2007-2008)

Hull City (2006)

Colchester United (2003-2006)

Phil Parkinson’s playing career

Before he became a manager in 2003, Wrexham AFC boss Parkinson had a 15-year career as a midfielder. The Chorley native started in the academy squad at Southampton over the early 1980s. He then later enjoyed his Football League debut in 1988 after moving to Bury.

Parkinson never featured for Southampton’s first-team during his time with the south coast side. But he enjoyed a lengthy stint at Bury that led to a £50k move to Reading in 1992 after turning 24 years old. It was with the Royals that Parkinson would see out his playing career.

Reading’s fans adored what Parkinson offered the club and named him as their Player of the Season in 1997/98 and 1998/99. He was also instrumental in the Royals’ squad that secured promotion as Second Division champions in 1993/94 before captaining another promotion.

Parkinson wore the armband as Reading booked their place in Division One for 2002/03, a season before it became the Championship. His final competitive appearance also came in September 2002 against Cambridge United, bowing out after 23 goals in 426 appearances.

Phil Parkinson at Wrexham AFC

Wrexham AFC appointed Parkinson on an initial 12-month rolling contract to replace Keates as their latest manager in July 2021. His tenure so far has proven McElhenney and Reynolds’ decision to appoint the Englishman a success having led the Red Dragons back to the EFL.

The Racecourse Ground team had not played in the English Football League for 15 years. But Parkinson booked their place in League Two for the 2023/24 season as the 2022/23 National League title-winners. Wrexham AFC edged Notts County to the title by four points with 111.

Wrexham AFC went close to securing their promotion back into the EFL the previous season, too. Parkinson took the Red Dragons to a second-place finish in 2021/22 after missing out on the title to Stockport County by six points. Grimsby Town beat Wrexham 5-4 in the play-offs.

Parkinson also ensured Wrexham AFC produced a strong effort in the FA Trophy during the 2021/22 campaign. He took the club all the way to the final before losing 1-0 to Bromley at Wembley. It was the Red Dragons’ first appearance in the FA Trophy final since in 2014/15.