Steven Fletcher said goodbye to Wrexham this summer as Phil Parkinson rebuilds his attack ahead of the Championship campaign.
Phil Parkinson has focused his attention on Wrexham’s attacking ranks throughout 2025.
Sam Smith and Jay Rodriguez arrived in January, with both strikers helping Parkinson secure a third straight promotion.
Parkinson’s attacking shake-up has continued this summer, as Ryan Hardie joined Wrexham before Josh Windass was snapped up on a free transfer.
Wrexham are now set to sign Kieffer Moore, with the Welsh international poised to become Parkinson’s new target man.
The arrivals have followed some difficult departures, such as Paul Mullin’s move to Wigan Athletic and the release of Steven Fletcher.
Steven Fletcher rules out Wrexham comeback
Mullin’s exit was on the cards throughout 2025, but Fletcher’s departure was a little more of a surprise.
The Scot racked up eight goals last season, despite starting just two League One games.
Fletcher was a menace off the bench, and many expected Parkinson to keep him for that exact role in the Championship.
Parkinson instead chose to release Fletcher at the end of his contract, paving the way for new strikers to arrive over the summer.
Fletcher has now hinted at retirement, stating that he is 95% sure his career is over after leaving Wrexham.
Speaking on The Warm-Up, Fletcher was asked whether there is any possibility of a return to Wrexham this summer.
Former Scotland striker Kris Boyd asked whether Fletcher could still play for Wrexham this season as a super-sub, believing that football is ‘crazy’ and a comeback isn’t out of the question.
Fletcher immediately shut that idea down, though, suggesting that his Wrexham career has truly ‘gone’ and there is no turning back.
Fletcher even feels that Parkinson would rather bring in somebody else, even if he needed a striker at short notice, suggesting that a return would mean his exit was a mistake in the first place.
“At Wrexham? No, that’s gone,” said Fletcher when asked if the door is still open.
“I don’t think he would even… even if he did need someone, I think he would probably [buy someone else], because it’s almost like you’re saying you made a mistake,” he added.
Steven Fletcher praises Phil Parkinson’s recruitment
Fletcher loved his time at Wrexham and paid tribute to Parkinson’s recruitment as a reason for such a strong dressing room culture.
The former Sunderland striker claims that Wrexham’s dressing room is one of the best he has ever been in, even noticing on his arrival that the players were so close.
Fletcher expected that to fade as time went on, but that tight-knit culture continued with Parkinson the key factor in the striker’s mind.
Fletcher sometimes wondered if certain signings could upset the Wrexham dressing room, but praised Parkinson for consistently bringing in the right characters at the right time.
“It was a great dressing room,” said Fletcher.
“It’s almost easy for me to say that it was one of the best dressing rooms I’ve been in, because it’s so raw and it was just then, because I’ve been in a lot of dressing rooms.
“Honestly, I’ve never been in one that was so… even when I went in, I was thinking ‘these boys are close’. There’s normally a few little groups, but all of them were together. I was like ‘this can’t be right, something’s going to crack soon’.
“I think it’s from the manager. He brings in the right people at the right time, and he’s done it every year. I was there for two years, and he was bringing in people, and you were thinking ‘could this one upset the dressing room?’, and it never did, they just fitted in straight away,” he added.
Fletcher has yet to confirm a decision on his future, but his role in Wrexham’s rise will never be forgotten, and fans will continue to support him from afar, no matter what comes next.