Wrexham have allowed goalkeeper Luke McNicholas to head out on loan to Rochdale following Callum Burton’s arrival on Monday.
Wrexham fans were once again glued to Instagram in order to watch a piece of paper emerge from a printer.
That may sound strange to the uninitiated, but it has become quite the occasion for Wrexham supporters this summer.
Wrexham have been announcing signings by showing contracts coming out of an HP printer – and it was a double whammy on Monday.
Goalkeeper Callum Burton was the first name out as the goalkeeper signed on a free transfer after leaving Plymouth Argyle.
For the first time this summer, the printer offered up two deals at once as left back Sebastian Revan signed from Aston Villa.
Phil Parkinson on Luke McNicholas move
The signing of a new goalkeeper wasn’t exactly expected.
Wrexham had not only secured Arthur Okonkwo on a permanent basis, but had also convinced veteran stopper Mark Howard to stay.
Maybe Howard won’t be expected to play too much, but another goalkeeper just wasn’t thought to be a huge need.
Well, it turns out that Burton’s arrival meant one goalkeeper would be moving on as Luke McNicholas joined Rochdale on loan.
McNicholas joined Wrexham on loan from Sligo Rovers last summer but struggled for first-team minutes even after the move was turned permanent.
The Irishman is now heading out on loan to play regularly and should get a full season of National League action under his belt.
McNicholas needed the game time, especially having been a regular in the League of Ireland before heading to Wrexham.
Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson has now shared his thoughts on the move whilst speaking to Wrexham’s official website.
Parkinson suggested that this was the ‘right time’ for McNicholas to go out and play having ‘trained really well’ of late.
Parkinson added that Rochdale have made a ‘very good signing’ in MicNicholas and believes this move is crucial for his development.
“It’s the right time for Luke to go out and play. He’s trained really well with us and had a few first-team games for us last season,” said Parkinson. “We feel that for his development, he is ready to go and play and I’m sure he will be a very good signing for Rochdale,” he added.
Rochdale boss excited by McNicholas deal
Parkinson clearly has high hopes for this move and will hope to see McNicholas as an improved talent in a year’s time.
Playing regularly is the absolute priority for McNicholas and, judging by the excitement of Rochdale boss Jimmy McNulty, he should receive plenty of action.
Speaking on Rochdale’s official website, McNulty noted that McNicholas is not only ‘very highly thought of’ in the Wrexham ranks, but also arrives with ‘great character references’.
McNulty added that Wrexham paying a fee for McNicholas just shows the kind of talent he possesses and he has been left impressed with the goalkeeper’s desire to get the deal done.
“We’re delighted to welcome Luke into the group. He is very highly thought of at Wrexham and comes with great character references,” said McNulty.
“Luke is a good goalkeeper with good shot-stopping ability and distribution, which is why Wrexham paid a fee to sign him. From the off, Luke showed a real hunger and desire to make the move happen, which is really important to us. We’re confident he will be a great fit for the group and look forward to working with him,” he added.
Who knows how Wrexham’s goalkeeping picture will look in a year.
Maybe Okonkwo – heaven forbid – will be snapped up by a club higher up in the pyramid, maybe Howard will decide to call it a day on his career.
McNicholas needs to go out and shine at Rochdale and prove that he deserves to be in the Wrexham goalkeeping ranks for the 2025-26 season – and Rochdale will now give him a big opportunity to impress.