Wrexham defender Max Cleworth continued his excellent form in the goalless draw against Harrogate Town and now former player Mark Creighton has waxed lyrical about his talent.
Wrexham extended their unbeaten to four matches in League Two after drawing against Harrogate on Tuesday night.
Phil Parkinson’s attack has looked imperious in the past couple of weeks, but their mission to put another team to the sword was halted by a well-organised Sulphurites defensive setup.
It was ultimately a bad night for the Reds attackers in front of goal as several opportunities were squandered.
Defensively, though, Wrexham looked pretty comfortable as centre-backs Eoghan O’Connell, Will Boyle and Max Cleworth continued their strong partnership.
Of the three, however, Cleworth has looked the most impressive, particularly in recent weeks.
Max Cleworth has become undroppable
Cleworth had to be patient for opportunities in League Two, but after playing his first ninety minutes of the season against Newport County in December, the 21-year-old has never looked back.
Despite his age, he’s looked incredibly mature and has been the most consistent of Parkinson’s defenders
Cleworth is now starting to get noticed for his performances on a wider scale and former Wrexham defender Mark Creighton, who made 83 appearances for the club, has now claimed that the youngster was “flawless” in the goalless draw against Harrogate and has made himself undroppable.
“I don’t think you can drop Max at the minute,” Creighton told the Rob Ryan Red podcast. “He’s probably the easy option to drop ‘because he’s young and learning’ but he’s earned his shirt, that boy keeps his shirt for me. I thought he was flawless last night in all honesty, completely flawless. He’s got everything; he can head it, he can tackle.”
Creighton believes Cleworth can play at a higher level
Cleworth is Wrexham’s most saleable asset, and aside from waxing lyrical over his display on Tuesday night, Creighton also believes that he could easily play at a higher level and wants him to sign a new contract.
“I think he can just go with us, I think if we keep going, he’ll go with us. If not, we’ve got a problem, because I think he’ll get some offers. Like I said last night, I’d be giving him a new deal, tie him down, give him some big dough and make him feel like he wants to be part of that journey.” he said.
Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds’ ambition is to lead Wrexham higher up the football pyramid and planning for the future is key to achieving that with Cleworth deserving of a new contract.
He’s stepped up for the side this season in a physically demanding league, where he will have been tested and although there have been struggles, he’s come out on top.
As Creighton said, he’s a defender who possesses all the tools to become a success in the modern game and could make a seamless transition into League One, or perhaps even the Championship.
For his age and the potential he has, Cleworth epitomises the direction Wrexham are going in and that is forward.