Wrexham are heading to the Championship after clinching promotion from League One last weekend.
April has brought yet another promotion for Wrexham fans.
2023 brought a memorable victory over Boreham Wood to spark wild celebrations at the STōK Cae Ras, finally sealing promotion out of the National League.
Wrexham hammered Forest Green Rovers last year to book a place in League One, and Phil Parkinson has now sealed yet another promotion.
Wrexham beat Charlton Athletic 3-0 on Saturday evening as Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds celebrated on the pitch.
McElhenney senses more success for Wrexham in the future and the preparations for Championship life will soon begin.
Ben Tozer praises Wrexham’s unsung hero
So much of the praise has gone towards McElhenney and Reynolds for driving the club forward from the National League.
Parkinson also deserves huge acclaim; it’s one thing to spend money on new signings, it’s another to produce a coherent team and win games consistently.
Parkinson has done that brilliantly, and whilst he is not a man for the limelight, he has been the man to put McElhenney and Reynolds’ dream into motion.
Former Wrexham defender Ben Tozer has now picked out an unsung hero in this incredible rise.
Speaking on Ben Foster’s Fozcast, Tozer offered up some praise for a man we don’t see in the limelight very often – Chris Johnson.
Scout Johnson has played a key role in identifying talent for Wrexham, having also worked for Parkinson at Bolton Wanderers.
Tozer noted that Matty James was a truly ‘unbelievable’ signing by Johnson and Parkinson as the midfielder arrived on a free transfer in October.
Tozer noted that Johnson doesn’t really need the plaudits, but never seems to receive them anyway, praising him for his ‘phenomenal’ work alongside Parkinson.
“You take your hat off to people that are unsung heroes, like Chris Johnson, the scout,” said Tozer.
“For me, that’s unbelievable recruitment. He doesn’t need the pat on the back but doesn’t get it at the same time.
“His recruitment, alongside the gaffer and the club and the way they’ve done it has been phenomenal,” he added.
Chris Johnson role in Arthur Okonkwo deal
We briefly saw Johnson speaking during season three of ‘Welcome to Wrexham’, highlighting his role in signing Arthur Okonkwo.
Johnson and Wrexham decided to go for a young goalkeeper following Ben Foster’s retirement, and he was convinced Okonkwo was the right man.
“Next on my to-do list is the signing of a goalkeeper, because Fozzy has decided to retire,” said Johnson.
“With all due respect to Mark Howard, who was doing really well and he’s a fantastic player, we identified that, probably, it would be better to go for a younger goalkeeper.
“Fortunately, I’d seen this goalkeeper play for Arsenal and I said to Phil, ‘There’s a goalkeeper at Arsenal, I don’t think we’ve got a chance of getting him, but he’s the one’,” he added.
Okonkwo joined on loan from Arsenal before turning his move to Wrexham permanent last summer.
Now one of the most promising and talented goalkeepers outside of the Premier League, Okonkwo has been a sensational signing for Wrexham.
Johnson struck gold there and it’s clear that Tozer has huge respect for the work he has done behind the scenes at Wrexham.