Wrexham’s players got the job done last season, over-performing to get the club into the Championship. But not every player was hailed by supporters.
In the end, Ollie Rathbone was the Player of the Season for Wrexham. The former Rotherham United midfielder shone throughout scoring eight and assisting three more in 41 League One games.
Memorably, Rathbone scored in Wrexham’s 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic which secured the Dragons’ promotion.
And Max Cleworth was the Young Player of the Season for a second time. He and Rathbone were key players and fans adore them, along with most other players who played their roles on the road to promotion.
But fans certainly had a few players who they threw criticism at. Perhaps none more so than Jay Rodriguez: Wrexham signed Rodriguez from Burnley in the January transfer window, with the veteran striker going on to score two and assist two more in 17 League One games for the Dragons.
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Rich Fay defends Jay Rodriguez’s form at Wrexham
Increasingly towards the end of the season, Wrexham fans vented their frustration at Rodriguez. Playing in that hybrid second striker role, the 35-year-old failed to get involved very often, seeing the attacks pass him by whilst failing to score that many goals in all.
But speaking on the Rob Ryan Red podcast, journalist Rich Fay explained how he thinks Rodriguez was an under-rated player for Phil Parkinson’s side last season, and how he might fare better in the Championship next time round.
Fay said: “I think he was under-rated. Very chastised last season for not being what lots of people wanted him to be and what maybe they expected of Jay Rodriguez. But he came in, he got us over the line into the Championship, and I think he’s one who next season might look like a better signing than he did right now.”
Jay Rodriguez has already outlined his ambitions with Wrexham
Rodriguez is among the Wrexham players out of contract in 2026, along with others like James McClean, so in the next year we could see the club lose a lot of its experienced players.
And Rodriguez is certainly that, counting West Brom, Burnley and Southampton among his former clubs, with one cap for England and two Championship promotions, both coming with the Clarets.
| Competition | Games | Goals | Assists | Mins-per-G/A |
| Premier League | 258 | 46 | 18 | 228 |
| Championship | 204 | 66 | 21 | 159 |
| League One | 17 | 2 | 2 | 289 |
| FA Cup | 25 | 13 | 1 | 119 |
| League Cup | 33 | 18 | 3 | 106 |
And speaking earlier this summer, Rodriguez outlined his Premier League ambitions with Wrexham, saying: “I’m not giving up hope of making a Premier League appearance again, so let’s hope it’s with Wrexham.”
Despite the divisive opinions about him, and despite the fact that Ryan Hardie may have taken his place in the XI for next season, Rodriguez remains optimistic about his chances with the club, and about the club’s chance of promotion next season.