Wrexham

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Former Wales defender James Chester and Premier League winner Marc Albrighton will feature for Wrexham Red Dragons in The Soccer Tournament (TST).

Wrexham Red Dragons feature for a third successive year at the seven-a-side, $1m winner-takes-all competition in Cary, North Carolina which begins on Wednesday, 4 June.

Back-to-back promotion winning captain Ben Tozer, who recently announced his retirement from professional football, is also included in the squad along with two other former Wrexham players, Liam McAlinden and Jake Hyde.

Ex-Scotland international George Boyd features once again for the Red Dragons, who are managed by first-team coach David Jones and will face AFC Bournemouth, Real Athletico and CONCAFA SC.

Wrexham Red Dragons' women's team, meanwhile, will take on Ultrain FC, Drunken Monkeys and KC Current II.

Their squad includes former Wrexham players Del Morgan and Mia Roberts as well as former England internationals Katie Chapman and Rachel Unitt.

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Striker Ollie Palmer is determined to reclaim his place in the Wrexham starting side despite falling out of favour in the 2024-25 campaign.

Palmer, 33, and fellow frontman Paul Mullin were instrumental in back-to-back promotions that took Wrexham out of the National League and then up to League One.

But following the January signings of forwards Sam Smith and Jay Rodriguez, both Palmer and Mullin struggled for game time as Wrexham claimed promotion to the Championship.

Palmer told CBS Sports: "I've got another season [left on his contract]. I've actually had that [rumours of leaving] since I arrived in January 2021, three-and-a-half years ago. Every window since I've been at the club, people think I'm going to leave.

"There's always those rumours there, but I'm going to come back, fight for my shirt, get fit, get ready and go again with the football club."

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson has already confirmed to BBC Sport Wales that Mullin and Palmer would remain at the club for next season, previously saying: "Mulls and Ollie will always be legends at this club for what they've done. They're under contract next year and they'll be back in pre-season ready to go again."

But with Wrexham poised to strengthen the squad once more in the transfer market, Palmer is under no illusion that competition for places will be even more fierce next season.

He added: "Since I've been at Wrexham, new players have come through the door like Steven Fletcher, James McClean and Jay Rodriguez. They're great people, by the way, before you even talk about their footballing ability.

"I think the gaffer [Parkinson] will keep doing that by bringing in good people first and then bringing good footballers after. That's what we build our foundations on.

"We get linked with everyone, though, it is ridiculous. The manager knows who he wants, I'm sure, and the club will do their best to go out and get those players."

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Former Wrexham manager Dean Saunders believes that owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney will again make funds available for manager Phil Parkinson to strengthen the squad for next season's Championship campaign.

Parkinson led Wrexham to their third consecutive promotion this season after finishing second in League One.

"It's unbelievable... they've done it, and it's brilliant for the town," said Wales striking great Saunders.

"I thought it was a joke when these two film stars came in. I think everyone thought it was a wind-up. But it looks to me as if they're going to put their hands in their pockets again.

"They're going to have to because obviously you're competing with Premier League salaries now.

"In League One and League Two and the National League, there's not a lot of difference in the wages – a couple of thousand either way – but some of these players playing for, say, Leicester and Ipswich – they're on £100,000 a week.

"You've got to try and put a team on the pitch that can compete with them, which is difficult."

Although the Wrexham face a steep step-up in competition, Saunders - who after finishing playing began his managerial career with the north Wales club from 2008–2011 - believes they be competitive.

"Definitely. If you've got that momentum," he added.

"Sorry to bring Man Utd up in this situation, but if you look at what gets into a club and makes the demise of it... Wrexham have got it the other way round, where they have got that winning formula, a winning confidence and everybody working their socks off at the club.

"And they have got that momentum which can make them compete. But it is going to be tough."

Monday Night Club pundit Rory Smith believes a move to newly-promoted Leeds United would make sense for Jamie Vardy.

Vardy, who will leave Leicester City at the end of the season, told Sky Sports he has no intention of retiring and believes he can continue to deliver in the Premier League.

Speaking on who Vardy might be suitable for on BBC Radio 5 Live, Smith said: "I think he actually makes a lot of sense for Leeds if he can overcome his inherent Sheffield Wednesday fan status.

"The experience, there aren't that many proven goal scorers available. Leeds have plenty of goals in the team but they don't have a focal point.

"There's questions about whether Joel Piroe can make the step up. I think there's a logic to Leeds."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer

Ian Hunt
BBC Sport Wales

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It was a case of Las Vegas and bust for a string of Wrexham stalwarts who have been shown the door by the club ahead of next season's Championship campaign.

No sooner had several stepped back onto UK soil following a lavish promotion party in the American casino capital, than they found out they would have no stake in the club's future.

Steven Fletcher headlined a list of fans' favourites who have been released by Wrexham following their promotion to the second tier, the 38-year-old former Scotland striker revealing he was leaving "with a heavy heart" and "not by choice".

Other key figures in Wrexham's rise through the leagues - or some with strong attachments to the club - have followed Fletcher out of the Stok Cae Ras, including goalkeeper Mark Howard and hometown hero Jordan Davies.

But recent history tells us this apparently ruthless culling of popular players is nothing new - and is only likely to help their bid to be a force in the Championship.

Rewind 12 months and it was Red Dragons captain Ben Tozer who was ditched by manager Phil Parkinson, despite being a crucial part of Wrexham's rise from National League to League One.

Tozer was joined on the exit list by club captain Luke Young - a hugely popular figure with fans and another key component of their back-to-back promotions - while Welshman Davies never got to play in League One for his local club, spending the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Grimsby Town.

Rather than stay loyal to everyone who helped Wrexham reach League One, Parkinson chose to roll the dice and upgrade his squad. And, of course, it has paid off handsomely with another step up the Football League ladder.

So perhaps it should come as little surprise to see the likes of Fletcher departing this summer, despite the Scot scoring eight goals for the club in 2024-25 and his invaluable heroics from the subs' bench.

Clearly, that is the plan once more, to free up space in the squad for better - and, in Fletcher's case, younger - players who can help Wrexham thrive in the second tier.

Of course, that ruthlessness is not just a summer thing - Parkinson showed plenty of it in the January transfer window by signing strikers Sam Smith and Jay Rodriguez in the belief it would help get Wrexham over the promotion line.

That meant goalscoring heroes Paul Mullin, who is still contracted to the club until 2027, and Oli Palmer, who has a year left on his current deal, were frozen out for the last few months of the campaign.

So perhaps now comes the ultimate test of Parkinson's ruthlessness - is Mullin, the club's seventh highest goalscorer of all time, having netted 110 times since joining from Cambridge United in the summer of 2021, really still part of the manager's plans? Or would he encourage the striker to find a new club?

Parkinson said earlier this month that 30-year-old Mullin and Palmer, 33, would return for pre-season, but even if there is still room in the squad for them once any new strikers arrive, how much game time would they get?

Ruthless business, football. Watch this space.

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Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney is said to be a target for Championship-bound Wrexham in Friday's gossip.

Reports claim the 34-year-old former Scotland international is set to be offered a deal worth £50,000 a week when he leaves the Cottagers on a free transfer.

Cairney has spent the last decade with the west London club and has played 318 Championship games during his career as well as 412 Premier League matches.

The Nottingham-born former Leeds United youth player featured 23 times in the top flight for the Cottagers this season, scoring one goal.

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Wrexham may need to consolidate in the Championship for a few seasons before they're ready to push for the Premier League, says former Wales captain Kevin Ratcliffe.

Having just achieved an historic third successive promotion, Wrexham are hoping to complete an extraordinary journey from National League to Premier League backed by the financial clout of film star owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

The Hollywood pair are expected to provide boss Phil Parkinson with more funds to make them a force in the Championship, but Ratcliffe says it is unrealistic to think Wrexham could go up for a fourth year in a row.

"I think it's going to take a few seasons," said Ratcliffe, who has seen a lot of the Red Dragons this season in his role as a BBC Radio Wales Sport pundit, including their 2-0 win at Lincoln City on the final day.

"Because you're going to need a whole new squad maybe in that time.

"I think there'll be a whole squad difference in the next two years. There will be fragments of this (current) squad playing."

Parkinson has already shown a ruthless edge in his attempts to upgrade the squad, leaving out fan favourites Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer altogether on matchdays following the January arrival of strikers Sam Smith and Jay Rodriguez.

The Wrexham boss says those two out-of-favour "legends" will be involved in the club's pre-season, but it is hard to envisage either playing a big role in 2025-26 given their recent exclusion.

"If Wrexham want to get into the Premier League they've got to get better players in," said Ratcliffe.

"That's what they have done every season. Even if they're like-for-like they've been better players than the ones who've been left out.

"It's hard to think you're going to get anyone better than Paul Mullin, but then in comes Smith and you see that extra bit of fizz.

"They're definitely going to have to find a 20-goal-a-year man to play at Championship level. Is Smith that man? I'm not quite sure yet.

"Fletcher's been there and done it, but is he going to be there next year? I'm not quite sure how that one works.

"They've got the nucleus of a squad there, but what they need now is that extra little bit of quality that's going to give you that next push."

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Phil Parkinson has been nominated for April's League One Manager of the Month award.

Wrexham were unbeaten across their six league matches last month, earning key wins against Burton Albion, Blackpool and Charlton Athletic en route to securing a third successive promotion.

Victory over Charlton in their final fixture of the month also saw Parkinson earn the sixth promotion of his managerial career.

The English Football League wrote: "The Wrexham manager's post comes with expectations and intense pressure, yet Parkinson's calmness in the public eye has created the culture that secured Wrexham a third successive promotion with 12 points from six unbeaten games."

Parkinson, 57, is up against Birmingham City boss Chris Davies, Leyton Orient's Richie Wellens and Burton's Gary Bowyer for the award.

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Ryan Longman says he is certain that Wrexham can compete in the Championship next season.

Phil Parkinson's side are preparing to play in the second tier for the first time in 43 years having secured a third successive promotion.

Longman has Championship experience with Hull City and Millwall and is "100%" sure Wrexham have the quality to cope with the step up.

"We keep in games, that's what you need to do in the Championship. If you keep in the game, anyone can go and win it," he said.

"We're just going to embrace that challenge and enjoy it. We've just got to prepare ourselves in the off-season, recover, spend time with the families and have a really good pre-season and get back to it.

"It'll be great to be playing back in the Championship, I know how tough it is. It's just going to be exciting in those stadiums, the next level is just brilliant."

Longman has been a pivotal figure under Parkinson since moving to the Stok Cae Ras from Hull in January.

He has contributed six assists across all competitions and netted his first goal for the club in the 2-0 win at Lincoln City on the final day of the campaign.

Longman also boasts the proud record of having not been on the losing side in any of his 16 starts for Wrexham.

Having helped lead the Red Dragons to second spot in League One, the 24-year-old swiftly turned his attention to the squad's celebratory Las Vegas trip.

"I've had all of the lads telling me about it," he added.

"They've said 'whatever you expect, expect 10 times more', so I'll enjoy it."

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Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson has "earned the right" to manage in the Championship once again after leading his side to a third successive automatic promotion.

Parkinson says he is relishing a return to the Championship with Wrexham following the "complete and utter carnage" of his last stint in the division with Bolton Wanderers.

Having led Bolton into the Championship in 2017 and kept them in the division the following season amid turmoil at the club when players were not paid for months, Parkinson was unable to keep the Trotters in the second tier for a second successive year.

Ex-Wales international Andy Legg was a team-mate of Parkinson's at Reading and told the Radio Wales Sport Phone In:

"He's earned the right," Legg told

"He's been there with Bolton and he said he had a bad time with Bolton and wants to put that right.

"He's that type of person – he's very determined, strong-minded in what he does.

"He doesn't take second best and he'll make sure everybody will work hard and you can see that with his players on the pitch.

"I do hope that, if they do have a sticky patch, stick with him but I think Wrexham will stick with him."

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Wrexham found final weekend motivation by showing they were not distracted by parties and were very much still focused on points.

Phil Parkinson's side beat Lincoln City on the final day, finishing the season as League One promotion-winners in second behind champions Birmingham City.

Blues stormed to the title earning a stunning 111 points, the best total ever in an EFL season and equalling the English system's professional record set by Parkinson's side when they jumped from the National League in 2023.

Wrexham were 19 points behind Chris Davies' side in the final table, but set themselves apart in history by earning an unprecedented third straight promotion with a 3-0 win over Charlton last week.

However, they were still keen to finish on a high by reaching 92 points - an average two per game - with defender Ryan Longman saying: "We finished the season ten games unbeaten and to get through the 90-point barrier.

"All the lads wanted it because it's just a nice achievement."

Manager Parkinson added: "We wanted to finish in a professional manner; the perception of the group celebrating last week, jetting out to Vegas this week, but in between that we wanted to finish the season well and 92 points in 46 games, I'm really pleased with that."

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Thousands of Wrexham football supporters joined players and club officials at an end-of-season promotion celebration at Stok Cae Ras on Sunday.

Long queues formed outside the ground as the crowd waited for the gates to open before the event to mark promotion to the Championship.

The event featured musical acts as well as the club's annual end of season awards.

Midfielder Ollie Rathbone was named the player of the season with defender Max Cleworth winning the young player award and the player's player of the season.

Paul Mullin won the goal of the season award for his volley in the win over Blackpool on Boxing Day with Elliott Lee the top goalscorer.

Long serving club secretary Geraint Parry was recognised for his contribution with a lifetime achievement award.

Wrexham won promotion with a 3–0 victory over Charlton Athletic last weekend, sparking huge celebrations with fans thronging the pitch at the end of the game.

They were joined after the game by co-owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, who said Wrexham had made "history" despite people doubting their ambitions were realistic.

Wrexham will compete in the second tier next season for the first time in 43 years with eyes on reach the Premier League after three successive promotions.

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Wrexham curing their away day blues was an "outstanding" factor in their latest promotion.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's Red Dragons had picked up just 13 points from their first 12 away games of the League One campaign.

But Saturday's 2-0 win at Lincoln City in their final game made it 26 points from the final 11 fixtures on the road – meaning they improved their return more than twice over.

Wrexham's season hit a worrying point in February when they lost at struggling rivals Shrewsbury, who went on to be relegated.

They had managed just four wins on their travels, with their away record worse than any side that had got promoted to the Championship over the past two decades.

But Phil Parkinson's side went on to collect seven further wins, losing just once to leave the six-times promotion winner delighted.

"It's an outstanding return at any level of football, so I'm really pleased with that," said Parkinson after goals from Eliot Lee and Ryan Longman at the LNER Stadium wrapped up their second-pace finish to earn the club a place in the second tier for the first time in 43 years.