Former Liverpool star Jermaine Pennant has had his say on Wrexham following their promotion to League One.
Wrexham achieved back-to-back promotions for the first time in their history as Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds rewarded their success with a trip to Las Vegas for the second season running.
Andy Cannon described the trip as ‘special’, but upon their return to Wales, the players know the real hard work will start in preparing for League One.
Phil Parkinson already has his eyes firmly set on improving his squad after letting go of eight players while working on a permanent deal for Arthur Okonkwo.
The Hollywood owners will arm Parkinson with the budget to challenge near the top as they aim to continue their upward momentum in the third tier, something Jermaine Pennant thinks will be harder than they think.
Jermaine Pennant makes Wrexham prediction after promotion
Reynolds has already claimed he’ll do whatever it takes to get Wrexham to the Championship, but in a division with ex-Premier League clubs Birmingham City and Huddersfield, that challenge won’t be easy.
After winning consecutive promotions, jumping from the National League to third tier, their progress is expected to slow down a bit as the competition becomes increasingly harder.
Humphrey Ker believes the gap between the Reds and those teams in League One has closed significantly while former Liverpool midfielder Pennant expects it to be a ‘long shot’ for them to reach the Premier League.
Instead, the 41-year-old believes the furthest they’ll get is the Championship. Speaking to Football League World, he said: “The Premier League might be a long shot for Wrexham, but saying that, look at Luton being in the Premier League from non-league, so it’s possible.
“I think the chances are slim but never say never, I think the furthest they will get is the Championship.”
Can Wrexham follow in Luton Town’s footsteps?
It’s incredibly harsh for Pennant to completely rule out Wrexham’s chances of reaching the Premier League, as many years ago no one would have believed Luton would get promoted to the top flight.
The Reds arguably have a bigger budget to work with, too, as well as huge ambitions to improve the infrastructure of the club and bolster their playing staff.
Ker remarkably hasn’t ruled out a move for Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy, while Parkinson is reportedly chasing three Wigan Athletic players; Tom Pearce, Josh Magennis and Stephen Humphrys to kickstart their summer business.
It wouldn’t be beyond the realms of possibility for the Welsh side to follow in Luton’s footsteps as their recruitment was driven off finding bargains in the market who were good enough to play in the Championship.
Wrexham’s recruitment model currently sees them target older players who can play at a higher level, so if they can continue to do that – and build on their solid foundations – a promotion charge could be on the cards.