Wrexham have made an excellent start to their summer spending with the acquisition of Ryan Hardie.
Hardie will join Wrexham in pre-season for their tour of Australia and Phil Parkinson will be keen for his new striker to get to grips with his teammates and new environment.
Wrexham moved early for Hardie with the 28-year-old becoming the earliest signing during a summer window under Parkinson – a signal of their admiration for the forward.
Hardie was instrumental in Plymouth’s recent Championship campaign but despite scoring ten goals, he was unable to prevent them from relegation to League One. His excellent form in front of goal however, may be down to one footballing legend.
READ MORE: Wrexham fans overwhelmingly agree about Paul Mullin after interesting transfer question asked
Ryan Hardie revealed advice from Wayne Rooney
Hardie played under Wayne Rooney during his time at Plymouth and England’s former record goal scorer was credited with giving Wrexham’s new signing some excellent advice in front of goal.
Speaking to the Mail, Hardie described how Rooney advised him to ‘guide the ball from crosses instead of hitting them hard’ and how simple ‘two-yard movements’ could create space for chances.
Hardie on Rooney stated: “You can see the movement that got him the success. Those suggestions have massively improved my finishing this year.”
Parkinson will now be hoping that his new recruit can continue to carry that advice into the new campaign and fire the Red Dragons up the table in the second tier.
Ryan Hardie’s arrival signals Wrexham departures in attack
Steven Fletcher’s Wrexham departure has now been eased by the arrival of Hardie but with options in forward areas bloated for Parkinson, there will surely be more faces leaving North Wales this summer.
Jack Marriott is happy with his Wrexham status but may see opportunities even from the bench more limited.
| Wrexham’s current strikers |
| Sam Smith |
| Ryan Hardie |
| Jay Rodriguez |
| Jack Marriott |
| Paul Mullin |
| Ollie Palmer |
| Modou Faal |
Paul Mullin is hoping to play in the Championship for his beloved Red Dragons but that dream appears to be slipping further from his grasp, whilst the same can be said for Ollie Palmer.
Modou Faal is likely to leave on loan and should those four players depart from Parkinson’s squad this summer, do not be surprised if another forward walks through the door at the Racecourse Ground.