Phil Parkinson takes a rare record into the Championship next season, he’ll be hoping Wrexham let him keep it

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As Wrexham gear up for their big return to the second tier, Phil Parkinson can hold his head high knowing he already boasts a very impressive record in the Championship.

After a third-successive promotion for Wrexham, Championship football now beckons for the Welsh outfit in 2025/26.

It’ll be a massive step up for the Wrexham squad, and though Phil Parkinson has coached in the second tier before, it will be his first time back at that level since the 2018/19 campaign with Bolton.

While Wrexham will be the underdogs in many ways next season, there is one key statistic in which Parkinson rules the roost compared to his peers.

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Phil Parkinson is the longest-serving manager in the Championship

We know Parkinson has been with Wrexham for quite some time now, having lifted the club from the National League through to the Championship.

But, barring any shocking twists this summer, Parkinson will also be leading Wrexham into the 2025/26 campaign as the longest-serving manager in the second tier.

Parkinson took over at Wrexham on July 1, 2021, meaning he is just a couple of weeks away from his four-year anniversary at the club. He’s also taken charge of a huge 208 games for the Red Dragons, and holds a 61.5% win rate.

That kind of tenure is rare in today’s game, as the managerial merry-go-round in the Championship this summer has proved already.

While the likes of Kieran McKenna at Ipswich and John Mousinho at Portsmouth have been in their roles a few years now and seem stable, Danny Rohl and Marti Cifuentes are next in the list and they could well be hitting reset on their careers this summer.

Michael Carrick did hold the record as the longest-serving manager in the Championship ahead of Parkinson, but he was sacked by Middlesbrough last week.

Five brand new managers have joined clubs this summer already, with two more to come at Boro and Bristol City. We may still see Chris Wilder sacked by Sheffield United, too, which just underlines the fickle nature of football management.

Parkinson will be hoping Wrexham grant him more patience than most next season, then, as he and his players adjust to the challenge of the Championship. Given what he has achieved with the club already, we’d be very surprised to see any rash decisions made regarding his future any time soon.

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Phil Parkinson has a score to settle in the second tier

In many ways, Parkinson will be doubly determined to prove people wrong in the Championship next season. Not only are people writing Wrexham off already, but the manager himself has some scores to settle.

Parkinson’s Championship record as a manager leaves a lot to be desired. During his past spells in the second tier with Bolton and Charlton, Parkinson managed just 26 wins from 141 games, which equates to an 18.44% win rate.

With the backing he has at Wrexham and the mentality of the team already (with more quality to come), we’re sure things will be a little bit smoother for Parkinson and the Red Dragons next season.

Our prediction for 2025/26 has Wrexham finishing around 14th, which would be a very respectable first season back in the second tier for 43 years. From there, they can then adapt, recruit, and push on to bigger and better things in years to come.