Ben Tozer has now been gifted the perfect chance to make the centre-back position his own following Will Boyle’s suspension.
Wrexham centre-back Ben Tozer was dropped from the starting XI following the 1-0 defeat to Bradford City.
It was a shock to most supporters as the 33-year-old had played in all but three League Two fixtures previously.
Unfortunately, Phil Parkinson decided to take him out of the firing line after the Reds suffered three straight defeats in the league with Will Boyle replacing him.
The 28-year-old, who was lambasted by supporters after being sent off in the 1-0 defeat to Newport County, performed exceptionally on his return to the side.
He scored in the win over Sutton United and was colossal in the victory against Notts County before becoming the pantomime villain once more with a sending-off in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at MK Dons.
Following his second red card of the season, Boyle will now miss Wrexham’s next three fixtures, opening the door for Tozer to take his golden chance to impress Parkinson, who rates him highly.
Phil Parkinson thinks Ben Tozer is ‘underrated’
Parkinson has openly described the veteran defender as the most underrated player in the Wrexham squad for various reasons.
He admires his bravery in taking the ball in high-pressure situations and consistently does that without worrying about the consequences.
Tozer constantly offers himself an angle to receive a pass and Parkinson has never seen him shirk responsibility in that regard.
From a defensive point of view, however, he’s also great at reading the game and winning those physical challenges.
During his time as captain, he’s set an example on the pitch by producing high levels and although he isn’t the quickest, he makes up for that with his defensive awareness and tackling ability.
Tozer now has to rediscover those levels while Boyle is sidelined.
Ben Tozer has a golden chance
If you disregard his red card against MK Dons, Boyle has been immense since returning to the side, forming a decent partnership with Eoghan O’Connell and Max Cleworth.
O’Connell has played in the centre with Cleworth and Boyle flanking, but Tozer’s anticipated return will see him wrestle his central position back as he doesn’t have the pace to play as a wide defender.
Previously described as “superb” by manager Aidy Boothroyd during his time at Northampton Town, the 6 foot 3 warrior now has a golden chance to lead Wrexham successfully through their promotion run-in.
He can utilise his leadership expertise and defensive determination to experience a lengthy run back in the team.
Ultimately, it’s such characters, like Tozer, that are so important in the quest for promotion out of the fourth tier and sometimes all you need is the door to open.
That has happened for the 33-year-old, who must now prove to people why he was labelled as ‘underrated’ by Parkinson.