Since Phil Parkinson’s arrival, Wrexham have had a preference for signing older players.
While his desire to bring in a bunch of 30+ players is often used as a stick to beat Phil Parkinson, there can be no denying that it is a method that has, so far, yielded great results.
His first season as Wrexham manager saw the club finish second in the National League before losing out in the play-offs.
From 2022/23 onwards, the Dragons have known nothing but success, winning a historic three promotions in a row.
In the 2024/25 League One season, the likes of Steven Fletcher and James McClean, both over 35, were crucial players.
And while some younger players have arrived this summer, Parkinson continues to favour more experienced names after reaching the Championship.
- READ MORE: Humphrey Ker sends touching message to three ‘wonderful’ Wrexham ‘heroes’ who have left the club
What is Wrexham’s average squad age in the Championship
Of the 13 players to arrive at the Racecourse Ground this summer, four were over 30.
However, four were also under the age of 25, with 21-year-old Callum Doyle the youngest addition.
- Nathan Broadhead (27)
- Callum Doyle (21)
- Lewis O’Brien (26)
- Liberato Cacace (24)
- Conor Coady (32)
- Kieffer Moore (32)
- George Thomason (24)
- Ryan Hardie (28)
- Danny Ward (32)
- Josh Windass (31)
- Ben Sheaf (27)
- Dom Hyam (29)
- Issa Kabore (24)
While there has been a nice mix of experienced veterans and players who are still arguably yet to reach their full potential arriving in the last several months, Wrexham still have the oldest average squad in the Championship.
Derby County are second on the list, while fellow League One promotion winners Birmingham City take third place.
| Team | Players used | Average squad age |
| Wrexham AFC | 19 | 28.4 |
| Derby County | 21 | 27.5 |
| Birmingham City | 19 | 27.1 |
| Ipswich Town | 21 | 26.8 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 19 | 26.6 |
| Oxford United | 23 | 26.5 |
| Preston North End | 18 | 26.4 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 18 | 25.9 |
| Portsmouth FC | 19 | 25.7 |
| Coventry City | 18 | 25.6 |
| Charlton Athletic | 18 | 25.5 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 19 | 25.5 |
| Hull City | 22 | 25.4 |
| Middlesbrough FC | 20 | 25.3 |
| Leicester City | 20 | 25.3 |
| Millwall FC | 23 | 25.3 |
| Bristol City | 18 | 25.3 |
| Stoke City | 16 | 25.0 |
| Swansea City | 18 | 24.7 |
| Norwich City | 21 | 24.6 |
| Southampton FC | 22 | 24.4 |
| Sheffield United | 20 | 23.9 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 23 | 23.7 |
| Watford FC | 21 | 23.7 |
Average age of Wrexham starting line-up
Their squad age may be 28.4, but Wrexham’s average starting line-up in the Championship so far this season has pushed above that a few times in 2025/26.
- 29.8 vs West Brom
- 29.4 vs Sheffield Wednesday
- 28.8 vs Southampton
- 28.2 vs Millwall
But does a team’s average squad age really have any impact on how they perform in the league?
Sheffield United have one of the youngest squads in the second tier this season, yet they are bottom of the division and have failed to pick up a point in their opening four matches.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 10 |  BirminghamBirmingham | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| 11 |  NorwichNorwich | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| 12 |  MillwallMillwall | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 6 |
| 13 |  SouthamptonSouthampton | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 5 |
| 14 |  WatfordWatford | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 15 |  WrexhamWrexham | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 4 |
| 16 |  CharltonCharlton | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 4 |
| 17 |  Hull CityHull City | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 9 | -4 | 4 |
| 18 |  QPRQPR | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 11 | -5 | 4 |
| 19 |  BlackburnBlackburn | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 3 |
Stoke City, West Brom and Middlesbrough, who occupy the top three, sit around the middle of the rankings, while Derby County, who are just behind Wrexham, are 21st.
In truth, it’s hard to definitively say that squad age has a clear correlation with on-field success.
Of course, having younger players can be a benefit in the long run given the potential sell-on value down the line.
Conor Coady and Kieffer Moore, for example, will likely have to leave Wrexham for free when they eventually fall out of favour.
But the Dragons are in good financial shape, and as long as Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac are willing to make losses on some players, which they have proven they are, it doesn’t make much difference how old Parkinson’s stars are as long as they keep performing.