Like for many in the Wrexham team, for Matty James, the last year or so has been a bit of a whirlwind journey.
This time last year, Matty James was a free agent. The 34-year-old was let go by Bristol City and he went the summer without a club before then being snapped up by Wrexham in League One in October.
Just a couple of months later, James signed a contract extension on what was initially a short-term contract, signing until the end of the 2025/26 season after impressing for Phil Parkinson’s side.
As Wrexham went on to win promotion from League One, James featured 32 times in the league, scoring twice and assisting three more.
He and his team-mates are now gearing up for the Championship season with Wrexham playing Southampton on the opening day on a Saturday in a 12.30pm kick-off at St Mary’s.
James is now among the Wrexham players out of contract in 2026 and ahead of the start of the new season, he’s discussed his future in North Wales.
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Matty James says he wants to extend his Wrexham future
Parkinson sees a few of his elder statesmen become out of contract in the summer of 2026. Among those are Jay Rodriguez, captain James McClean, Ollie Palmer, and James among others.
But speaking to the press ahead of the Southampton game, James says he wants to stay with the club for as long as possible, insisting that he still feels good and that he’s enjoyed his time playing for the Dragons, James explained in his pre-match press conference.
James said: “For me at the moment, I feel great. I’ve got a real spring in my step and I’m enjoying my football. I’ve enjoyed the football club, everything about it: the club, the fans, the staff, everything. So for me, I want to try and play here for as long as possible.”
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What Matty James said about his Bristol City exit before
James is about as experienced as they come having had prolonged stints with the likes of Leicester City and Bristol City. With the latter, he spent three seasons playing in the Championship, making 115 total appearances, with 247 total career appearances in the Championship, along with 14 goals and 16 assists.
But speaking earlier in the year, James talked about his Bristol City exit and how he felt he wasn’t treated entirely fairly. He explained: “I gave everything for the football club and it wasn’t rewarded but that’s football, that’s the way it is. I am a big boy and I can deal with it but I wasn’t quite expecting the summer that I had.
“I thought there would have been more for me to make a decision on but the kind of models with these new sporting directors and the way that they want to run clubs is sometimes not with players of age or experience.”
At 34 years old and with Wrexham’s rise looking unstoppable, James may well be set for the same fate at the Racecourse next summer.
But all he’ll be focused on is helping Wrexham in the Championship this season and trying to guide them to what would be an unthinkable fourth straight promotion under Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds.