Wrexham released a number of players during the summer transfer window, one of which has now stepped up for his new club.
Wrexham brought nine new players to the Racecourse Ground during the 2024 summer transfer window.
It was a big-spending summer for Rob McElhenney and his fellow Wrexham co-owner, Ryan Reynolds.
The club smashed their transfer record on two occasions in August, paying out £500,000 for Ollie Rathbone before splashing £590,000 on striker Modou Faal shortly before the transfer window slammed shut.
With so many new faces joining and the Red Dragons now playing in League One, there were, of course, going to be a number of players who had to depart in order to make room.
With decisions made not to offer them new deals, Aaron Hayden, Luke Young, Ben Tozer, Jordan Tunnicliffe, Scott Butler and Owen Cushion all left the club on free transfers.
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Luke Young is thriving since leaving Wrexham for Cheltenham Town
After releasing so many players, Wrexham chief Shaun Harvey sent a clear message to the axed stars, claiming that while they were good enough to play in 2024/25, the club’s ambition meant they had to leave.
One player who is certainly proving he could have offered something at the Racecourse in 2024/25 is Young.
After being released on a free, the 31-year-old has linked up with League Two side Cheltenham Town, who were in action on Tuesday evening versus Bradford City.
Bradford took a 1-0 lead after eight minutes but the home side pulled level just seven minutes later when Young scored a stunning 30-yard goal that could now be a contender for goal of the season.
His heroic display also saw the ex-Wrexham star named as Man of the Match by the club post-match.
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What Rob McElhenney said about Luke Young
Young joined Wrexham from Torquay United in 2018, three years before McElhenney became co-owner of the club.
The midfielder played a key role in the Welsh outfit ending their 15-year stint in the National League and winning promotion to League One.
Following his exit, McElhenney revealed he ‘loved’ Young and was left devastated by the player’s departure.
He said: “We have had so many valleys along the way, in so far as we started the conversation talking about Ben Tozer and Luke Young, who is my favourite player – and I was very public in stating that!
“That’s not a slight to the other players, I just loved Luke, he was our longest-tenured players, he was with us from the very beginning, so to say goodbye to him was devastating – devastating.”