Wrexham youngster Max Cleworth has revealed which former teammate has been a ‘big help’ to his development.
Max Cleworth has made a rapid rise to stardom at Wrexham. Now regarded as one of the most saleable assets at the club, the 21-year-old is a player the Reds don’t want to lose.
Last season, the young defender rarely played in League Two till a 2-0 victory over Newport County in December and the rest, as they say, is history.
Cleworth featured for just 59 minutes of fourth-tier football up until that point but once he played his first 90 minutes of the campaign, he never looked back, starting in all but three of the games as Phil Parkinson’s men clinched promotion.
Indeed, the only three matches the youngster didn’t start during that period all ended in defeats against Salford City, Bradford and Doncaster Rovers, which is telling of his importance.
Cleworth has since reflected on his debut campaign in the football league, revealing which teammate was a ‘big help’ to him.
Max Cleworth praises Ben Tozer for helping him at Wrexham
Tipped for a ‘big future’ by Wrexham hero Andy Morrell, the club rewarded the academy graduate with a new contract, keeping him at the Racecourse Ground till 2027.
Cleworth has developed so much over the past year that it was impossible to not give him a new deal, especially given his old one was set to expire in 2025.
The young defender credits former teammate Ben Tozer for being a ‘big help’ in his development behind the scenes, while claiming his partnership with Eoghan O’Connell and Tom O’Connor was also important.
Speaking to The Leader, Cleworth said: “I know the way that the gaffer likes to play and I understand what he likes from his defenders. I feel I have managed to find a level of consistency which is important, especially for defenders.
“It helps having people like Eoghan and Tom alongside you, and behind the scenes towards the end of last season, Ben Tozer was a big help to me and Aaron and Jordan.
“Everyone played their part and it is a season we will look back on with fond memories.”
Tozer was released from his contract at Wrexham this summer after three successful years and has since been captured by Forest Green Rovers. The 34-year-old didn’t feature as much as he would have liked towards the end of the campaign but he still played an underrated role in the promotion race.
The key role Ben Tozer played at Wrexham
Despite only playing 48 minutes in the final 17 matches of the season, Tozer did have an enormous impact off the pitch.
Although his monstrous aerial ability and long throw weren’t present on the field, the towering centre-back showcased his leadership qualities and was often seen on the sidelines marshalling the defence.
For Wrexham to achieve promotion, they needed to conjure up every single weapon in their armoury, from Paul Mullin’s goals, Arthur Okonkwo’s reflex saves and Tozer’s experience.
Those were just three of the many ingredients that combined to create the perfect recipe as Wrexham earned promotion back to the third tier.