Former Wrexham goalkeeper Ben Foster has revealed what his first impressions of Ben Tozer were during their time spent together at the club.
Since the Hollywood takeover, the standards and expectations have risen rapidly at the Racecourse.
With owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney adding a number of quality big-name signings to Phil Parkinson’s squad, the Red Dragons’ dressing room quickly welcomed players with a variety of experiences from playing in higher divisions.
The squad needed a natural leader both on and off the pitch. And Ben Foster has claimed that he and his former teammates knew who naturally fitted the role.
Ben Foster saw a ‘man who was a leader’ in Ben Tozer at Wrexham
Earlier this week, Foster invited Forest Green defender Ben Tozer onto his podcast Fozcast.
On the podcast episode, the pair reminisce about their time together at the Racecourse. The former teammates both revealed what their first impressions of each other were when Foster arrived in North Wales.
Tozer was a fan favourite during his time at the club, with the centre-back being a tough and vital part of Parkinson’s backline.
The fanbase could see his leadership on the pitch with the 34-year-old often wearing the armband when the official club captain Luke Young didn’t feature.
Speaking about his first impressions of Tozer, Foster said: “The first few days of walking around the dressing room at Wrexham, I saw a man who was a leader, an authority.
“He [Tozer] was the captain, who wasn’t the captain. In everybody’s eyes, he was the captain.
“But what I really liked about you was, you had this real [element], you were who you were.
“You were calm, but if something happened you didn’t like, you were so happy to say I’m not having that, and I don’t care who you are, I’m not having it.
“I really appreciated it, I really did.”
Senior players at Wrexham will need to step up
After the summer departures of Tozer and club captain Young, there will be a need for someone in the dressing room to step up and take authority.
The former Newcastle player was a huge part of the back-to-back promotion campaigns. Wrexham boss Parkinson will be looking to his more senior players to try and take over the role off the pitch.
Key players like Steven Fletcher, James McClean and Paul Mullin all have the capabilities to be a leading figure in the dressing room, with the former two having great experience in the Premier League and the Championship.
It will be interesting to see if potential signings fit the mould of an experienced leader. Bringing in a quality player who has played at a higher level has been a successful transfer strategy for the Red Dragons and can only help the club’s transition into League One.