Wrexham’s retained and released list had some interesting names on them, but one man who got away has just received some great news.
With Wrexham now preparing for life in the Championship, it figures that Phil Parkinson and co. have made some tough decisions on who should come along for the ride.
Last week, the Red Dragons released Steven Fletcher, despite the veteran forward bagging eight goals in League One.
He wasn’t alone, though, with the likes of Jordan Davies, Mark Howard, and Sam Dalby also departing at the end of their contracts.
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Sam Dalby crowned Dundee United’s player of the season
In truth, Sam Dalby was always going to be part of Wrexham’s released list at the end of this season.
The 25-year-old had spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Dundee United in the Scottish Premier League, and performed brilliantly out there.
Wrexham had the chance to recall Dalby in January, but opted to sign Sam Smith and Jay Rodriguez instead, leaving Dalby to finish his impressive season with Dundee United.
Last month, Dalby was named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year, and now, he’s picked up another reward for his fine form.
Dalby was crowned Players’ Player of the Year for 2024/25 by his Dundee United teammates, with the club posting the following on Twitter/X: “The best in Scotland – and his teammates agree The phenomenal Sam Dalby wins [our] Players’ Player of the Year Award!”
The post was accompanied by a compilation of Dalby’s goals this season. He scored 15 goals in the SPL this term, with a further two assists to his name.
Should Wrexham have kept Sam Dalby?
The story of Sam Dalby is an interesting one. He did ‘absolutely nothing’ for Wrexham in 2023, so the decision to loan him out was simple.
However, his goalscoring form North of the Border certainly sparked some debate among the fanbase, with many suggesting Dalby should have been recalled in January to help push Wrexham over the line in their quest for promotion.
Parkinson resisted that temptation to recall Dalby, though, and at the time, it looked like Wrexham had made a big mistake; especially considering they were only going to lose him for nothing in the summer anyway.
But, with the success of the signing of Sam Smith, Wrexham managed to achieve promotion anyway and left Dalby to complete his season with Dundee United; a campaign that will have done wonders for his efforts to find a new club this summer.
The right decision was made by all parties in the end, and Wrexham can now look for stronger forwards to aid them in their quest for Championship glory.