Wrexham’s rise through the leagues under Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds not only attracts potential signings but should help keep top talents at the club.
June is now just days away and the summer transfer window is about to really heat up.
Wrexham are expected to splash the cash this summer and some big names are already being linked.
Tom Cairney has been linked with Wrexham of late, whilst former England international Aaron Cresswell is on Phil Parkinson’s radar.
These are exciting times as Wrexham plot new additions, but the Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds project isn’t just about big additions.
Wrexham also want to bring through prospects for years to come, with Max Cleworth and Harry Ashfield emerging as shining examples of the talent in the local area.
Leicester City release ex-Wrexham goalkeeper Danny Ward
Wrexham have lost young talents in years gone by, with perceivably ‘bigger’ clubs often swooping in.
Wrexham simply didn’t have the facilities to keep those players at the time, but that is changing under McElhenney and Reynolds.
Goalkeeper Danny Ward is a fine example, having emerged in the Wrexham ranks as a youngster.
Ward hails from Wrexham but failed to make a first-team appearance for his hometown club.
2012 saw Liverpool sign Ward, spotting significant potential in the shot-stopper and luring him to Anfield under Kenny Dalglish.
Ward only ever played three times for Liverpool at first-team level, but earned rave reviews on loan at Aberdeen and Huddersfield Town before heading to Leicester City permanently in 2018.
Ward’s time at the King Power Stadium has been frustrating, playing just 29 league games for the Foxes.
Now 31, Ward has only managed 101 league appearances in his career – and 43 of them came in one season with Huddersfield.
Ward hasn’t quite lived up to the potential he showed in the Wrexham ranks and now finds himself without a club.
Leicester have confirmed that Ward will be leaving the club when his contract expires at the end of June.
Ward joins fellow goalkeeper Daniel Iversen – who has already joined Wrexham’s Championship rivals Preston North End – in leaving Leicester as they adjust after relegation from the Premier League.
Wrexham return seems unlikely for Danny Ward
Ward is bound to attract interest this summer, and some Wrexham fans may fancy seeing him make up for lost time by returning to the STōK Cae Ras.
The problem is that Wrexham already have a settled first-choice goalkeeper in Arthur Okonkwo.
Okonkwo is primed to shine in the Championship, just as he has in League Two and League One for Wrexham.
Backup stopper Callum Burton also impressed in limited minutes last season and is likely to compete with Okonkwo moving forward.
Veteran stopper Mark Howard is leaving this summer, so Wrexham may well be in the market for a third-choice goalkeeper.
Ward does not fit that bill, though, and a return to Wrexham just doesn’t align with his need for first-team action after so many years on the bench.