Phil Parkinson has Wrexham battling bravely in the Championship, with the club currently on an impressive unbeaten run of four games before this international break.
The Red Dragons would have been considered a side destined for relegation before the summer transfer window, when the team invested heavily in the squad for the upcoming campaign in the second tier.
Wrexham spent £33 million on 13 new signings to ensure they had the quality needed for this level, and it has seemingly done the trick, as they have been competitive this campaign.
Phil Parkinson had the aim of bringing players to the squad who had featured at this level previously, with former EFL striker Sam Parkin believing this Championship experience was advantageous to Wrexham.
However, the boss of the Welsh side does believe that they are lacking in one key area as a club.
Wrexham are lacking a Category One academy compared to their Championship rivals
Phil Parkinson has explained to the Leader that the decision to sign players with Championship experience was necessary due to the club not having a Category One academy, meaning they are not getting the same level of youth produced within the club.
The Red Dragons manager believes that this has helped bridge the gap, a necessary measure to allow them to compete in the Championship because of the relentless nature of the division; however, they are working to improve their academy.
He said: “Of course, we have spent money this summer, but we have come into a division which clubs like Stoke, West Brom and Norwich have been building strong structures for years.
“They have got category one academies who are producing players, so we have been playing catch-up each time we have got promoted.
“To be competitive at this level, we have had to bring in a core of Championship-ready players because, as everybody knows, it is an unforgiving level.”
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Wrexham academy players in the senior squad this season
At present Wrexham have five players that have come through their academy or featured here in their youth that are now playing in the senior squad.
Max Cleworth has been a key player throughout the Red Dragons’ journey from the National League to the Championship.
The two other players who are currently being considered by Parkinson as first-team options, Aaron James and Harry Ashfield, have come through the academy and have not been contracted to other professional clubs.
Meanwhile, Danny Ward began his career at Wrexham before moving to Liverpool; however, he has returned to the club now after 13 years playing for other clubs.
The other player that featured at youth level for Wrexham is Nathan Broadhead before Everton were able to lure him away as an exciting prospect at academy level, with the Wales international returning now for the Championship campaign.
It demonstrates that the Wrexham academy can produce some incredible talents for this level; however, Parkinson may want this to be a more regular occurrence so the club can use their own products and focus finances on one or two signings.