Wrexham are making plans ahead of their first Championship season, with one signing already through the door.
Wrexham have released eight players this summer, including previously key striker Steven Fletcher.
The Scotsman has quickly been replaced, however, with Ryan Hardie joining from Plymouth Argyle on Monday.
Hardie has signed a three-year contract and has cost the Red Dragons £700,000 thanks to a clause in his contract, which reduced his release clause from £2m.
The now ex-Plymouth forward has plenty of experience in the second tier – something the likes of Sam Smith, Paul Mullin, Ollie Palmer, and Modou Faal are lacking.
However, there is another Wrexham forward who actually performed similarly to Hardie during his last season in the Championship.
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Ryan Hardie vs Jack Marriott in Championship
Hardie joined Plymouth permanently in January 2021, signing from Blackpool after a successful loan spell.
In total, the 28-year-old has made 77 Championship appearances during his career, scoring 22 goals and assisting seven.
2024/25, despite Plymouth performing badly and suffering relegation, was by far his best campaign in the second tier.
- Ryan Hardie 2024/25 Championship stats:
- Appearances – 37
- Goals – 10
- Assists – 3
Meanwhile, after Jay Rodriguez, Jack Marriott is the Wrexham striker with the second most experience in the Championship.
He has a slightly worse overall record than Hardie, scoring 19 and assisting nine in 111 second-tier meetings.
However, like Wrexham’s new signing, he excelled for a struggling team during his last season in the division.
Marriott lined out for Peterborough United in the 2021/22 campaign, with the Posh relegated after a 22nd-place finish.
The 30-year-old did, however, have a solid individual season, scoring just one fewer goal than Hardie managed last term.
- Jack Marriott 2021/22 Championship stats:
- Appearances – 28
- Goals – 9
- Assists – 0
Rob McElhenney wish for Jack Marriott at Wrexham
Marriott ended 2024/25 as Wrexham’s fourth-choice striker, and potential new arrivals may lead some to believe he’s going to play an even more reduced role in the coming campaign.
But his previous record in the Championship gives him an edge over pretty much every other striker at the club.
And with Parkinson happy to invest in Hardie after 10 goals scored for a poor team, Marriott could well be the surprise package for Wrexham later this year.
Rob McElhenney has expressed love for Marriott, praising the centre-forward early in 2024/25 when he was in top form prior to his injury.
McElhenney said: “I love him so much, I wish only good things for him. And for him to score tons of goals for us.”
Marriott lost his place and some momentum after a lengthy lay-off, but it could be time for him to be unleashed once more, given his previous record and experience in the Championship.