Mark Hughes is back in management in League Two – and has inherited a signing made from Wrexham last summer.
Cast your minds back to 2021.
Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds completed their Wrexham takeover and quickly started to set their grand plans into motion.
Manager Dean Keates left the club and speculation surrounding the next Wrexham manager was rife.
Phil Parkinson landed the job and the potential of a third promotion in a row sums up how that decision played out.
Wrexham were also linked with Mark Hughes though as The Leader noted that the Welsh legend had been touted for the job.
Mark Hughes back in management
Hughes hails from Ruabon, just down the road from Wrexham, and he was a real hero of the game as a player.
The former striker bagged goals for Manchester United, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Chelsea in an impressive career.
Hughes racked up 72 caps for Wales too before impressing as Wales boss on the international stage.
Hughes has previously admitted a soft spot for Chelsea whilst speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph, but he made his love for Wrexham clear in 2023.
Speaking to The Telegraph and Argus, Hughes admitted that he was a Wrexham fan as a kid and probably still is at heart.
Hughes feels a strong connection to Wrexham as a city and has no doubt loved seeing the club’s rise from afar.
“I was a Wrexham fan, I probably still am because all of my family are from there,” said Hughes. “I like to see the city do well.
“If the football club does well, that has an impact on the population of the place,” he added.
Hughes was in charge of Bradford City at the time of those comments, but lost his job in October 2023.
After more than a year out of the game, Hughes is back having been appointed as the new Carlisle United boss.
Hughes replaces Mike Williamson as Carlisle boss and joins with the club mired in a relegation battle.
Carlisle sit bottom of the League Two table, five points adrift of safety with Hughes now called in to save the club from a second straight relegation.
Mark Hughes inherits former Wrexham ace
Hughes faces a real task at Brunton Park but he can actually call upon a former Wrexham defender in Aaron Hayden.
Hayden signed for Carlisle United after Wrexham decided to release the centre back over the summer.
Rob McElhenney backed Hayden for success at Carlisle, especially if they managed to get crosses onto his head.
Hayden was a real goalscoring threat for Wrexham but Carlisle are yet to really see the best of that.
Recently out with a head injury, Hayden will be looking to get himself back in action as he seeks to impress Hughes.
The combination of Hughes and Hayden is one that few Wrexham fans could have predicted, but the pair will now be working together as Carlisle fight for survival.