Wrexham snapped up Jay Rodriguez from Burnley last week and the striker has a very familiar face to lean on at the STōK Cae Ras.
Wrexham wanted a striker ahead of the January transfer window as Phil Parkinson chased attacking reinforcements.
Last Friday, Wrexham snapped up not one striker but two as Parkinson competed a double raid.
Sam Smith left Reading for Wrexham, finalising a club-record move as Wrexham broke the seven-figure barrier for the first time.
Smith provides a proven source of League One goals and Wrexham followed up his arrival by signing Jay Rodriguez.
Former England international Rodriguez has quit hometown club Burnley to join the Wrexham project, making a big move at 35.
Jay Rodriguez on Wrexham’s James McClean
Rodriguez’s move sees him join forces with a former teammate.
The striker played with James McClean at West Bromwich Albion and will now play together once again.
McClean and Rodriguez featured 28 times together for the Baggies during the 2017-18 season.
West Brom finished bottom of the Premier League table that year and McClean ended up joining Stoke City.
Nearly seven years since parting ways, McClean and Rodriguez are back together again and they started in the Wrexham lineup at Crawley Town last weekend.
We would expect to see the pair playing key roles in the Wrexham side moving forward and Rodriguez has commented on that reunion.
Speaking on Wrexham’s official YouTube channel, Rodriguez admitted that it’s great to be playing with McClean again.
Rodriguez loved playing with McClean at West Brom and believes that the pair have instantly picked up their friendship again after so many years apart.
“It’s great, it’s great to see him and he’s a great guy,” said Rodriguez.
“Obviously, I loved him at West Brom and to see him do so well here is really pleasing.
“I’ve just seen him and it’s like old times and that’s the way football is – you don’t see each other for a while and then as soon as you see each other, it’s back to how it was and I’m excited to play alongside him and work together,” he added.
Jay Rodriguez leaves one promotion chase for another
Leaving Burnley will not have been easy for Rodriguez.
Rodriguez hails from Burnley and was in his second spell at the club before heading to Wrexham.
Rodriguez’s emotional goodbye to Burnley summed up the pain of the decision to leave the Clarets and you get the sense that he wouldn’t have just walked away from Turf Moor for any offer.
The project at Wrexham has enticed Rodriguez and given him something new to get his teeth stuck into in the final stages of his career.
Trading a promotion charge with Burnley for a promotion charge with Wrexham may sound strange but his lack of starts at Turf Moor mean Wrexham have managed to turn his head.
Now looking to secure a spot back in the Championship next season, Rodriguez will hope to make some magic with McClean and inspire Wrexham’s third promotion in a row.