Studying the average age of Wrexham’s signings under Phil Parkinson, it’s not what rival fans would expect

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Wrexham are in the market for big signings this summer, and some of the names mentioned have sparked discussion.

Wrexham are preparing for life as a Championship club after sealing an unprecedented third straight promotion.

Phil Parkinson has masterminded Wrexham’s rise from the National League and will now challenge teams who have been in the Premier League very recently.

Reports suggest Wrexham are ready to spend this summer; after all, Rob McElhenney wants more Wrexham success down the line.

Speculation is already mounting as Wrexham are currently being linked with signing some high-profile players.

Fulham’s Tom Cairney is on Wrexham’s radar whilst Parkinson is interested in signing Aaron Cresswell as he departs West Ham United.

Both players are vastly experienced; Cairney is 34 whilst Cresswell is 35, with Wrexham seemingly keen to continue recruiting veteran performers.

That has been a common theme through Parkinson’s time in charge, with Wrexham backing proven players such as James McClean, Steven Fletcher and Jay Rodriguez.

Rival fans love to say that Wrexham only sign ageing players, but the numbers tell a different story.

We took a look through Wrexham’s transfer history in the Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds era, studying the average of the new faces upon signing on the dotted line.

2021-22

Signings: Liam McAlinden, Shaun Brisley, Jake Hyde, Harry Lennon, Paul Mullin, Aaron Hayden, David Jones, James Jones, Ben Tozer, Charlie Trafford, Bryce Hosannah, Ollie Palmer, Callum McFadzean, Thomas O’Connor, Lee Camp.

Average age: 28.1

Wrexham’s first full season under Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds saw key names such as Paul Mullin, Ollie Palmer, Ben Tozer, and Aaron Hayden.

Proven performers from the EFL and non-league were recruited in an attempt to provide an instant injection of quality to Parkinson’s squad.

Wrexham came up short in the promotion race, losing out to Grimsby Town in the National League play-offs.

Bryce Hosannah, Aaron Hayden, James Jones and Thomas O’Connor represented signings under the age of 25, with the average age of Wrexham’s signings coming out to just over 28.

2022-23

Signings: Jordan Tunnicliffe, Mark Howard, Elliot Lee, Anthony Forde, Sam Dalby, Jacob Mendy, Kai Calderbank-Park, Rory Watson, Louis Lloyd, Andy Cannon, Eoghan O’Connell, Ryan Barnett, Billy Waters, Ben Foster.

Average age: 27.9

Season two brought more proven players as Mark Howard, Elliot Lee, Jordan Tunnicliffe and Anthony Forde came in.

Howard and fellow goalkeeper Ben Foster certainly bring the average age up here, but Wrexham did also sign the likes of Sam Dalby, Jacob Mendy and Ryan Barnett – all under 25 at the time of their arrivals.

Andy Cannon and Eoghan O’Connell were smart mid-season signings, coming in at the age of 26 and 27, respectively.

Both players dropped down the leagues to play for Wrexham, but had plenty left in the tank to go again and play key roles in Wrexham’s rise.

Kai Calderbank-Park and Louis Lloyd were somewhat rare Under-21 signings as the average age of Wrexham’s signings came down to just below 28 in a promotion-winning campaign.

2023-24

Signings: Will Boyle, James McClean, George Evans, Liam Hall, Steven Fletcher, Luke McNicholas, Luke Bolton, Jack Marriott.

Average age: 27.4

Wrexham needed more quality in order to compete in League Two, meaning Parkinson turned to veterans McClean and Fletcher.

Both players played key roles in Wrexham’s promotion to League One, with their experience and quality proving invaluable.

Will Boyle, George Evans and Jack Marriott were calculated signings in the 27 to 29 age range, whilst the arrivals of Liam Hall, Luke McNicholas and Luke Bolton all focused on the future.

Arthur Okonkwo was only on loan at this point, so we haven’t factored him into the equation of permanent signings, but he certainly made a big impact as a 22-year-old.

Wrexham’s average age again dropped, this time to 27.4 as Parkinson again balanced experience with calculated signings for the future.

2024-25

Signings: Arthur Okonkwo, Lewis Brunt, George Dobson, Callum Burton, Sebastian Revan, Dan Scarr, Ollie Rathbone, Modou Faal, Josh Adam, Matty James, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, Brad Foster, Ryan Longman, Sam Smith, Jay Rodriguez.

Average age: 26

This was the year of real change for Wrexham.

We began to see more signings in the Under-25 range as Okonkwo, Lewis Brunt, Sebastian Revan, Modou Faal, Josh Adam, Brad Foster and Ryan Longman all arrived.

Wrexham did still bring in three players over 30 in Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, Jay Rodriguez, and Matty James, but there was a real shift last season.

The average age of Wrexham’s signings plummeted to 26, and whilst some of those younger players didn’t play huge roles in winning promotion,

Wrexham’s signings have, on average, been getting younger and younger with each passing season.

Parkinson still loves to sign the occasional experienced head, but the perception that he is signing any player over 30 is frankly wrong.

In fact, we looked at the splits in terms of how many signings Wrexham have made under 25, between 26 and 29 and then over 30.

Parkinson has only signed 13 players who were 30 or over upon arriving for Wrexham, with more signings coming in the other age ranges.

Wrexham may sign more players over 30 than other clubs, especially in the modern game, but Parkinson has been finding a balance.

If players such as Cairney and Cresswell do arrive this summer, we would anticipate that younger players will be joining them at the STōK Cae Ras.

22-year-old striker Sunusi Ibrahim has been linked with Wrexham and players of that profile are likely to be just as important to Parkinson’s summer plans as the veteran heads.