Wrexham have climbed out of the National League and up to League One in just two years, in no small part to the efforts of Ben Tozer.
Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds took over Wrexham in 2021 and had a very productive first summer transfer window at the helm.
Paul Mullin was the marquee signing of that window, but plenty more crucial players arrived, including Ben Tozer.
Tozer was signed for six figures from Cheltenham Town and instantly became a key figure under new manager, Phil Parkinson.
His debut campaign at the Racecourse Ground saw the centre-back make 43 appearances in the National League as Wrexham finished in the play-offs.
They eventually won promotion from the fifth tier in the following campaign before ending 2023/24 second in League Two to book their place in League One for the current campaign, and Tozer was key to their rise.
It was not just his leadership and defensive ability that made the centre-back a key asset for Parkinson, however.
Ben Tozer claimed Football League tried to ruin his career
During his time in Wales, Tozer was the main man tasked with taking Wrexham’s throw-ins.
He was incredibly effective at this, getting great distance on his throws to ensure plenty of good chances were created.
However, in 2023, the Football League introduced a rule that stopped players from drying the ball before taking a throw.
This obviously made it harder to produce quality throws in bad weather and at the time, Tozer claimed the organisation were ‘trying to ruin my career’, as per Leader Live.
He said: “When I first heard about it, I thought that was my career over! They are trying to ruin my career!
“When the ball is wet or when it is raining, that is when it is tougher. Having a towel is part of home advantage but sometimes you don’t need a towel.
“We will get by, that’s all you can do.”
What Ben Tozer is doing after leaving Wrexham
After a prolific three years, the former club captain was allowed to leave on free transfer in the summer of 2024.
Tozer has since joined Forest Green Rovers, once again competing in the National League.
He has played 25 league games so far this term and, barring a collapse, should have helped his new team secure a place in the play-offs come May.
After leaving Wrexham, Tozer revealed what McElhenney and Reynolds still do, despite the stopper having departed nine months ago.