Wrexham are beginning to make a habit of producing top-quality talent in their youth ranks who can compete in the first time.
The best and most obvious example of this is Max Cleworth, who is one of just a few stars who have managed to remain at the club since Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds’s takeover.
Cleworth was a fringe player when Phil Parkinson took charge in 2021 but the centre-back is now one of the first names on the team sheet every week.
Wrexham have also handed a chance to another young talent during the 2024/25 season in the form of Harry Ashfield.
Ashfield excelled for the Red Dragons during a recent EFL Trophy meeting with Port Vale, scoring his first senior goal.
Parkinson wants to give the Wrexham youngster more chances in the remainder of the campaign, which is great news.
But there’s another rising star in the club’s youth ranks who clearly has a very bright future in the game.
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Wrexham have found their Paul Mullin replacement
The future of Paul Mullin at Wrexham has been cast into doubt over the last couple of weeks.
Parkinson confirmed Mullin was fit to face Northampton Town over the weekend yet he was left out of the squad with Jack Marriott and Steven Fletcher favoured on the bench ahead of him.
He’s now 30 and has scored just three times in League One since the 2024/25 season got underway.
Replacing a player of his caliber will not be easy, especially as he had no issue netting 20+ goals a campaign up until very recently.
However, one youngster could be the man to do so. Rio Owen is tearing it up for the Welsh side at youth level and his goal return is remarkable.
In 47 appearances for Wrexham’s reserves across the last two campaigns, he’s managed to net a whopping 28 goals.
It’s still early days, of course, but Parkinson and co. may already have unearthed a forward just as clinical as Mullin.
Who is Rio Owen? The latest Wrexham star who could replace Paul Mullin
Born September 20th, 2006 in Bangor, Wales, Owen has been on Wrexham’s books since 2016.
Currently, the forward is in the second year of a scholarship with the Red Dragons, in which time he’s netted nearly 30 goals.
He is a powerful forward who is able to link play well and has a keen eye for goal.
Owen has spent his entire career to date with Wrexham and it’s surely only a matter of time before he’s offered his first professional contract.