Wrexham fans were given a first glimpse of Nathan Broadhead as the new signing made his debut off the bench against West Bromwich Albion.
No points from two games isn’t an ideal start for Wrexham, but there shouldn’t be too much panic just yet.
Wrexham were beaten 3-2 by West Bromwich Albion on Saturday afternoon, falling to defeat at the STōK Cae Ras.
Wrexham need time in order to adjust to the level, while a raft of new signings are settling into Phil Parkinson’s squad.
The Championship is much more unforgiving than League One, and Wrexham are learning some lessons against seasoned opposition.
Ipswich Town boss on Nathan Broadhead to Wrexham
One of the new faces settling in is forward Nathan Broadhead.
Saturday’s defeat saw Broadhead make his Wrexham debut, replacing the injured Josh Windass in the first half.
Broadhead joined Wrexham on Thursday evening, finalising a £7.5million move with add-ons potentially taking the deal up to £10million.
The Welshman almost scored against West Brom, and we wouldn’t anticipate a lengthy wait for his first Wrexham goal.
Broadhead left Ipswich Town for an emotional move to Wrexham, leaving boss Kieran McKenna disappointed.
Speaking to the East Anglian Daily Times, McKenna admitted that he wanted to keep hold of Broadhead, but the forward made it abundantly clear that he wanted to join Wrexham.
McKenna noted that Wrexham proposed an ‘incredible contract offer’ to Broadhead, and the chance to return closer to home was also a major factor.
McKenna added that Broadhead’s desire to join Wrexham was ‘really, really strong’ and he was pushing for the move throughout pre-season.
Ipswich reluctantly accepted Wrexham’s move, though McKenna believes that the ‘high-quality’ Broadhead will leave with the best wishes of fans.
“He’s a player that we would like to have had here this year, there’s no doubt about it,” said McKenna.
“He’s a high-quality player, someone who’s had a really good experience with us over the last couple of years. Nathan made it clear from the early part of pre-season that he’d had an offer from a club, and it was an incredible contract offer, really, for his personal situation.
“I fully understand his desire to take that opportunity. It’s a club, of course, close to home that he has an affinity to. I understand all aspects of that. From his point of view, it was a transfer that he wanted to happen. He made that clear right the way through pre-season. In the end, it was a difficult situation to go in another direction.
“Of course, he’s on the contract here, and he’s an important member of the squad. We’d like to have kept him, but, in the end, it wasn’t possible. His desire to leave was really, really strong. He makes the move to Wrexham. Of course, he goes with fond memories of his time at the club. I know all the supporters will wish him well.
“We’re disappointed with how it came about in some ways, but at the same time, it’s a really fantastic deal for Nathan. It’s a good deal for the club in terms of return on what was invested. He’ll go with a lot of people’s best wishes. For us, it’s about trying to replace that quality and still have a really good season,” he added.
The pull of Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds on show with Nathan Broadhead deal
Hearing that Broadhead really wanted to join Wrexham should delight fans, with the Welsh international effectively forcing through a move.
Broadhead spent time in the Wrexham youth ranks as a kid, and now returns to the STōK Cae Ras in an emotional comeback.
Broadhead may feel a sense of unfinished business, having been snapped up by Everton at a very young age.
Now ready to play a role in Wrexham’s incredible rise, Broadhead has signed on for four years – and shown the pulling power of Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds once more.
Ipswich and Broadhead played Premier League football last season, and yet McElhenney and Reynolds were still able to tempt him away with a contract described as ‘incredible’ by McKenna.
Wrexham have committed major wages and a significant fee to signing Broadhead, and will hope to see a consistent attacking threat to justify the outlay.