Wrexham return to League One action this weekend as Phil Parkinson and co head on the road to South Yorkshire to take on Rotherham United.
Fans will now rejoice as Wrexham get back down to business this weekend.
Last weekend’s scheduled fixture against Lincoln City was postponed due to international call-ups and that will have hit Wrexham fans hard.
Wrexham played through the last international break, beating rivals Shrewsbury Town 3-0 with a superb performance.
Beating Northampton Town 4-1 feels like it was an age ago now and Wrexham fans are no doubt looking forward to the return of League One action.
Wrexham head on the road this weekend, taking on Steve Evans and Rotherham United at the AESSEAL New York Stadium.
Steve Evans on Ollie Rathbone
This game sees one Wrexham player make a return to Rotherham just months after leaving the club.
Midfielder Ollie Rathbone left Rotherham to join Wrexham after spending three years at the club.
Wrexham paid around £500,000 to sign Rathbone having been impressed with his displays for Rotherham.
The 27-year-old is still finding his feet at at Wrexham but now returns to take on Rotherham for the first time.
Rotherham boss Steve Evans – who keeps calling Wrexham the ‘Harlem Globetrotters’ of League One – has now commented on Rathbone.
Speaking to the Rotherham Advertiser, Evans admitted that he will give Rathbone a ‘big hug and a kiss’ upon seeing him this weekend.
Evans tripled down on that Harlem Globetrotters comparison and wants Wrexham to go home empty-handed on Saturday, even if he is looking forward to seeing Rathbone.
Evans added that it was ‘sad’ to see Rathbone go but Rotherham brought in ‘significant’ money for him as his contract ran down.
The Scot was still a little angry to see Rathbone move on but now accepts that these deals are just part of the game.
“Someone will be getting a big hug and a kiss from me this weekend,” said Evans.
“Ollie Rathbone comes back to AESSEAL New York Stadium this week with new club Wrexham and it will be good to catch up with the midfielder who did so well here in his three years as a Miller. Obviously, I fervently hope he and League One’s Harlem Globetrotters go home empty-handed, but that doesn’t mean I won’t show him a touch of affection.
“We sold him in the summer and I was sorry to see him go. It was sad to say goodbye to a good lad and good player, but it’s part and parcel of football and it was important we got a significant amount of money for someone who had entered the last year of his deal and had made it clear he was keen on a fresh challenge elsewhere.
“I vividly remember taking a phone call from the chairman and being told that the deal was done while I was at home on a Thursday evening two days before the start of the season.
“I was in the garden with my wee dogs, Hugo and Boris, and was kicking a ball for them to chase and retrieve. I’m not saying I vented my disappointment, but the ball was suddenly sailing over the hedge and into the next-door neighbour’s fish pond!” he added.
Rathbone waiting for Wrexham lift-off
Rathbone was a considerable signing for Wrexham at the time, breaking the transfer record previously set by Ollie Palmer.
Many would have expected an immediate impact from Rathbone as a result, but that hasn’t quite happened yet.
Rathbone has started just two League One games this season and come off the bench three times, meaning he has tallied up less than 200 minutes of league action.
That means Rathbone may not even start against Rotherham and would have to come off the bench against his former club.
Rathbone will have chances to shine down the line but with George Dobson, Andy Cannon and Elliot Lee all shining in midfield, he just has to be patient.