Wrexham under Phil Parkinson have defied expectation over the last few years, doing so again last season after securing promotion from League One and into the Championship.
Wrexham have made history under Phil Parkinson, and under owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, having earned three-straight promotions to find themselves in the second tier of English football for the first time in more than 40 years.
But next season they go up against the big guns: teams like Southampton, Leicester City and Sheffield United among others who’ve all got Premier League pedigree, and the finances to match.
Wrexham have a £25million transfer budget this summer and £700,000 of that has already been spent on Ryan Hardie. Meanwhile, Wrexham could sign Lewis O’Brien for £5million from Nottingham Forest if the Dragons can agree on a wage packet for the midfielder.
New signings this summer will heavily influence how Wrexham perform next season. But Parkinson wants one simple thing from his players in the upcoming 2025/26 season.
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Phil Parkinson wants to see Wrexham’s ‘hallmark’ characteristics in the Championship
Going into this summer, Parkinson said he won’t sign any superstars for Wrexham. He prides his team around positivity: having good players and good people in the group, not necessarily the best players available on the transfer market. So far, it’s a strategy that’s worked for him.
And speaking to ESPN from Wrexham’s pre-season tour of Australia, Parkinson said the only thing he wants from his players next season is the same attitude and desire that’s gotten from the National League to the Championship in just a few years.
Parkinson said: “I just want to come at the end of the season and make sure that we’ve continued showing the characteristics which have been a hallmark of this team over the last few years: which is effort, honesty, playing with a real desire, a humbleness as a group, and we’ll see where that takes us.”
Attitude is all well and good, but Wrexham still need to deliver results
One thing we’ve seen stem from Wrexham’s rapid rise is how cut-throat the industry can be. As the Dragons have moved on up, names like Paul Mullin have been left behind: a quality player just a year ago, but now an outcast.
And if Wrexham under-perform next season then there’s no guaranteeing Parkinson’s position at the club. Already, co-owner Rob McElhenney has outlined Wrexham’s Premier League ambitions, playing down the idea of Wrexham consolidating in the Championship.
He wrote: “If I’m being honest I don’t even know what the word ‘consolidation’ means.”
But of course, the attitude of the Wrexham players has played as key a role as the new signings in getting the club to this position. For Parkinson, he may just need a few more quality players to come in to keep this momentum going, providing he can maintain the belief in the group.
