Wrexham are closing in on the signing of Josh Windass following his Sheffield Wednesday exit, and the reasons behind Phil Parkinson’s love for him are so clear.
The Red Dragons are slowly but surely adding extra talent to their squad ahead of the 2025/26 Championship season.
Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson is keen to add goalscorers to his team, a requirement that is much more necessary following the Australia and New Zealand pre-season tour.
After positive talks, it has now been revealed that Wrexham have agreed a fee for Josh Windass following his exit from Sheffield Wednesday, with a medical set to take place at the Racecourse Ground on Monday.
Whilst it is clear that Windass would have caught Parkinson’s eye because of his glittering goalscoring record in the Championship, the former Sheffield Wednesday man has also shown to have the perfect mindset and ambition for Wrexham.
Josh Windass’ mentality is perfect for Wrexham and Phil Parkinson
When it comes to bringing proven Championship talents through the door, especially on a free transfer, you cannot get much better than Josh Windass.
The incoming Wrexham forward bagged 13 goals and notched five assists last season in the Championship, which is five more contributions than Ryan Hardie managed.
It is undoubtedly the priority for Parkinson to sign a player who has proven experience at this level, but he has also managed to shine at this level as a result of his mentality, something that is very important for the Wrexham boss.
Speaking to SportsBoom back in 2024, Windass said: “When you play for a crowd that expects wins you know there’s an expectation.”
“Sometimes you play for a club and you’re drawing 0-0 and everyone’s happy. But when you’re drawing 0-0 here there are a few groans and a few boos. The expectation is to win games and as players you feel that.”
“It changes the whole mindset around a club and the mentality you have. We never start a season to finish 10th. If you get relegated you get relegated, and if you finish 10th you finish 10th. The start of the season the aim is to win.”
“It’s a crazy division. I was speaking to a friend who’s at another team in the Championship and you predict a result every week and it’s wrong.”
“It’s one of those leagues where if you’re not at it for a ten-minute spell you can get beat. I find a lot of away teams find it tough in those mid-week games.”
“It’s stating the obvious, but the teams that can find the best consistency in the division do the best. We want to be aiming to be one of those teams as the season goes on.”
Why Josh Windass’ mentality will be crucial for Wrexham this season
Wrexham have sailed through the National League, League Two and League One in three successive promotions. Whilst the first two have arguably been managed because of the club’s advantage financially, the same cannot be said for their most recent success.
The Red Dragons’ automatic promotion win in the 2024/25 League One campaign came about as a result of the mentality that Phil Parkinson instilled into the players, something that will be even more important this season.
Josh Windass is a perfect signing because of the importance he places on mentality and winning, even when the odds are stacked against their favour.