Wrexham’s executive director Humphrey Ker believes Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds have done something ‘rare’ since arriving at the club.
Wrexham’s rise towards League One has been a joy to behold.
Although facilitated by the riches of Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, Phil Parkinson has done an impressive job of guiding the Reds to consecutive promotions, something that has never been done before.
Of course, the former Bradford City manager has been bankrolled by Wrexham’s Hollywood owners, but their recruitment over the last few years has helped drive their success.
The capture of Paul Mullin from League One side Cambridge United in the summer of 2021 kickstarted the wheels in motion. Others that followed, including Elliot Lee, Ollie Palmer and James McClean have also inspired their journey.
Humphrey Ker names the ‘rare’ thing Wrexham have done
Wrexham’s recruitment has been measured towards signing experienced players who can hit the ground running.
10 of Parkinson’s current squad are aged 30 or above, while the likes of Mullin, Lee, George Evans and Jack Marriott turn 30 this year.
It means that players have taken little time to etch their names into the Wrexham fabric and their experience – especially when fighting for promotion – has been invaluable.
Many have accused the Welsh side of giving players Championship wages, but executive director Humphrey Ker has fired back and claimed the club do something ‘quite rare’ instead.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Ker said: “We haven’t paid anyone a Championship wage, I can assure you of that.
“Our players have been paid well because they’ve taken a big chance by coming on this journey with us and if you’re asking a player to drop from League One to the National League, as we did with someone like Elliot Lee, for example, one of the big things we’ve been able to do is give people stability.
“We’ve given three-year contracts, which is quite rare at that level.”
Wrexham’s focus in the transfer window
Having captured ex-Premier League players James McClean and Steven Fletcher in their mid-to-late thirties last summer, the direction of Wrexham’s recruitment was made clear.
They wanted experience and quality in the squad to give them a boost in their promotion pursuit.
However, as they look to solidify their place in League One – or perhaps challenge for the Championship – Wrexham need to slightly alter their focus towards signing younger players with higher resale value.
Currently, the club lacks players they could sell on for a sizeable fee, which is an issue when looking to stabilize.
McElhenney’s comments of him wanting to win right now also suggest Wrexham won’t switch their recruitment policy, and will instead target experienced players, as opposed to youngsters who can grow with the club.
This isn’t a huge issue, but as they continue their rise, these players will become more expensive and they’ll have no saleable assets to fall back on.
Nonetheless, it promises to be an exciting transfer window for Wrexham as McElhenney and Reynolds target a third consecutive promotion.