Phil Parkinson has now revealed that Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy actually inspired Wrexham to their record-breaking promotion last season.
As Wrexham remain in contention to win back-to-back promotions, most supporters will remember the difficult times at the club.
The Reds were relegated from League Two in 2008 and spent several years trying and often failing to get out of the National League.
Even in the campaign where they finished fifth in 2018/19, they were on the brink of getting relegated in the following season, finishing 20th.
It wasn’t until Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds arrived at the club in February 2021 that supporters started to dream again.
Inspiring ambition once lost under the rubble of their previous despair, the Hollywood superstars have brought a feel-good factor back to Racecourse Ground by setting huge goals to achieve.
One of those was reaching League Two, fulfilling that in record-breaking style last term with Phil Parkinson recalling one huge moment that stood out in their season.
Phil Parkinson says Jamie Vardy inspired Wrexham to promotion
Jamie Vardy rose to prominence at Leicester City as one of the Premier League’s great strikers, while Wrexham fans feel a deep hatred towards him.
During the 2011/12 campaign, Wrexham were battling with Fleetwood at the top of the National League.
The Reds accumulated an impressive 98-point haul, but the Cod Army pipped the Welsh side to promotion thanks to the goals of Vardy.
The Englishman scored 31 times in 36 appearances to win Fleetwood the title, earning a £1 million move to Leicester on the back of his scoring exploits, while Wrexham lost in the play-off semi-finals.
Parkinson knew of the despair supporters previously went through and claimed that one moment stood out as Notts County goal machine Macaulay Langstaff threatened to do what Vardy did 11 years previous.
Speaking to the Athletic, Parkinson explained: “Last season, when we were flying in the promotion race, one moment stands out.
“There was a late kick-off game featuring Notts County on TV in the boardroom after we’d played earlier in the day and won. Macaulay Langstaff scored and I looked around a few of the vice-presidents and sensed this (feeling of), ‘Oh, here we go again — it’s like Vardy and Fleetwood all over again’.”
Parkinson was right to fear Langstaff derailing their promotion hopes as he scored 41 goals in 45 appearances, but it wasn’t enough as Wrexham sealed a “special” promotion.
“So, to turn that round like we did was very, very special,” Parkinson added.
That title win has allowed Wrexham to put their previous despair behind them as they aim to seal consecutive promotions with their sights set on reaching League Two.