Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson turned out to be spot on over one bold selection call he made ahead of the Southampton clash, which left supporters stunned.
Wrexham suffered defeat to Southampton on the opening day of the 2025/26 Championship season in cruel fashion.
After going ahead courtesy of a Josh Windass goal from the spot, Wrexham were in cruise control for the rest of the first half, with Kieffer Moore putting in a brilliant shift, notably.
Wrexham were defending vigilantly in the second half, but a moment of brilliance from Southampton substitute Ryan Manning from a free kick brought the scores level, before the Saints then edged in front after Jack Stephens scored in the final minutes.
Despite the difficult result, Wrexham did still impress across the board. One player, who was surprisingly picked to play from the start, shone, despite fans thinking that starting him was a mistake.
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Phil Parkinson was correct to start Danny Ward for Wrexham
When Wrexham’s team news was revealed, many fans were confused at Phil Parkinson’s decision to choose Danny Ward over Arthur Okonkwo.
Supporters were left ‘shocked’ over the decision, especially after Okonkwo predominantly featured during Wrexham’s pre-season.
However, Ward’s performance was demanding of praise, in spite of the two late goals that were conceded to Southampton.
Ward kept Wrexham in the contest with many great saves, and such a performance will likely keep him in the starting side ahead of Okonkwo in the next Championship tie.
Danny Ward’s stats vs Southampton
The two goals that were conceded late on by Wrexham have not taken away from the brilliance of Danny Ward, having, via SofaScore, been rated as the Red Dragons’ top-rated player in the contest.
Throughout the game, the Wrexham shot-stopper managed seven saves, preventing 0.81 goals. Six of Ward’s saves were from inside the box, highlighting just how impressive his performance was.
After such a strong showing for Wrexham in his second stint at the club, there may have to be second thoughts on Ward, who was originally set to be a back-up goalkeeper behind Arthur Okonkwo.
Ward struggled in his previous spell at Leicester City, where his game time was fairly limited; however, he by no means appeared to be lacking match sharpness after what was a positive display at St Mary’s.