Wrexham are heading into a key period in their final preparations for the new season.
Phil Parkinson will be keen to have a solid week of training sessions to integrate his new signings before travelling to the Netherlands to face Groningen in their final pre-season fixture.
With the Championship opener at Southampton looming ever close, Wrexham now have the task of gelling their squad with six new arrivals added into the mix.
Lewis O’Brien has made a pledge to Parkinson that he will cover every blade of grass in the middle of midfield this season but another new acquisition has been tipped to be the club’s key man this season.
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Liberato Cacace backed to be Wrexham’s ‘key player’ this season
Speaking on the latest episode of the ‘Second Tier’ podcast, EFL expert Ryan Dilks believes that Liberato Cacace will be a ‘key player’ for Parkinson and his side this season.
Dilks stated: “I’ve gone for their key player as the brilliantly named Liberato Cacace. While I won’t pretend to know a huge amount about Liberato Cacace, I thought it might be Wrexham’s most expensive signing since the Hollywood takeover.
“He’s a defender from Empoli in Italy, who’s got 33 caps for New Zealand, played 33 games in Serie A last season. He’s traditionally a left back but didn’t actually play many games there last season.
“In fact, they say he has played more games as a number 10 last season, not sure how accurate that is, but I think it’s fair to say he likes to get forward. So I would assume he’s been brought in as an upgrade on James McClean at left wing back.”
Cacace has been praised for his versatility upon joining the Red Dragons, however, there are fears that this could mean that he hasn’t mastered a specific position and could be detrimental to his chances of adapting to English football.
With experience in Serie A and at international level, Wrexham supporters will be confident that the 24-year-old is ready to make an impact in North Wales.
Liberato Cacace praised by former Newcastle defender Steven Taylor
Also on the same episode of the ‘Second Tier’ podcast, it was revealed that former Newcastle United defender Steven Taylor once heaped high praise on Cacace.
Justin Peach explained: “I just wanted to quickly say on Liberato Cacace, is that former Newcastle defender Steven Taylor once described him as the best left back in the A-League.”
| Liberato Cacace’s record at Wellington Phoenix | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Cacace | 60 | 4 | 4 |
Cacace was with Wrexham’s recent pre-season opponents Wellington Phoenix before making a move to Europe with Belgian outfit Sint-Truidense.
All eyes will be on how Parkinson’s side begin their campaign in the second tier but their astute acquisitions so far have given them every chance of competing well.