Wrexham

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Sam Smith is looking to learn from new strike partner and fellow Wrexham new boy Jay Rodriguez.

Smith and former England international Rodriguez joined the League One promotion chasers during the January transfer window.

"He's a quality player – he's a clever player," Smith said of former Burnley and West Brom forward Rodriguez.

"We're just trying to build a relationship as quickly as we can.

"It's difficult coming in halfway through the season and not having much time to train or work on things.

"I ask him questions all the time because he's obviously a great player with a great career. The quicker I can learn off him and improve my own game, the better for the team."

Smith scored his first goal for Wrexham in last Saturday's 2-0 win at Northampton Town, which kept them in the promotion hunt in third.

He latched on to goalkeeper Mark Howard's long ball to hit Wrexham's opener in the 19th minute.

"It's a special moment and probably a moment I will never forget," Smith said.

"More importantly it was a good performance and three points.

"Hopefully I can keep contributing and help pushing for promotion. Every performance now is important."

Smith joined Wrexham from League One rivals Reading for an undisclosed fee.

The 26-year-old said he was excited by the Wrexham "project", though he had mixed feelings on leaving a club where he was in his second spell having originally come through the academy.

"It was difficult leaving Reading with my association there and what the club meant to me," Smith added.

"But it was a difficult period for the club there and I got told a bid had been accepted and the club needed the money to keep the club going."

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Wrexham midfielder Ollie Rathbone says he is pleased with his goal return for the club so far this season.

Rathbone scored Wrexham's second goal in Saturday's 2-0 win at Northampton, his fourth this season.

The midfielder, who joined Wrexham from Rotherham United last July, said: "It was something I really wanted to add to my game.

"It's something I've wanted to improve because I knew I had it in me.

"I've probably just put more emphasis on it and I've really tried working on it in training so my confidence is up.

"I think the competition for places makes it hugely important – all the other midfielders are chipping in with goals so it's important I keep doing that.

"I'm really glad to be contributing goals and assists and helping the team ultimately."

Rathbone hopes Wrexham can make a winning home league return when they host Leyton Orient on Tuesday evening.

Wrexham are unbeaten in their last four games in all competitions but lost their last home league fixture at the Stok Racecourse 3-2 to Stevenage at the end of January.

It was Wrexham's first league loss at home this season.

"It was really disappointing but if you'd have said at the start of the season that in February we'd lost only one league game at home then we'd have taken it," Rathbone said.

"It was really important we bounced back against Bolton [in the EFL Trophy] and then we'll hope to carry on our winning run on Tuesday.

"They're [Leyton Orient] in play-off contention and on a brilliant run since the start of the year and we won't take them lightly."

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Phil Parkinson believes Wrexham's run in the EFL Trophy will help keep his squad sharp for the business end of the season.

A much-changed Wrexham side beat 2023 winners Bolton Wanderers at the Stok Racecourse in Tuesday night's quarter-final to progress to the last four, where they will meet Peterborough United.

With fringe players getting a chance to shine, manager Parkinson hopes the entire squad will be stronger for their promotion push in League One.

"Now we've got players really up to speed for this run of games we've got coming up because we'll be utilising the the group all the way through to the end of the season," Parkinson said.

"It's a competition which is always low-key at the start and your attitude has got to be right - and ours has been fantastic

"That's a credit to the professionalism of the staff and the group. We've won every game I think apart from the draw in the final group game at Port Vale.

"It's about professionalism, playing with pride every week and and we've done that. When that [Peterborough] game comes, we'll be ready and we'll pick a team we feel is right

"We've got a lot of players in the squad where there's not a lot in it so it's not a case of weakening the team when we leave players out because we've got good players who can step in and and some have made claims [against Bolton] to to be involved again."

Wrexham return to league action with a trip to Northampton Town on Saturday.

Parkinson's men are third in League One and four points behind Wycombe Wanderers in the second automatic promotion place.

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Wrexham have confirmed the date for their EFL Trophy semi-final - with a potential third 'Hollywood Derby' at Wembley on the line.

Phil Parkinson's side beat 2023 winners Bolton Wanderers at the Stok Racecourse in Tuesday night's quarter-final to progress to the last four of the competition.

They will now face holders Peterborough United at home, with the tie taking place on Wednesday, 26 February (19:30 GMT).

The game is being held 24 hours after Rhian Wilkinson's Wales welcome Sweden to the Stok Racecourse in the Nations League.

League Two Bradford City take on Wrexham's promotion rivals Birmingham City in the other EFL Trophy semi-final on Tuesday, 18 February.

Wins for Wrexham and Birmingham would set up a Wembley meeting for the two third-tier clubs, whose games this year have generated attention thanks to the sides' high-profile owners.

But Wrexham will first have to get past a Peterborough side managed by Darren Ferguson, who was a goalscoring captain when Wrexham last won the competition in 2005.

The final will take place on Sunday, 13 April.

Wrexham's home League One game against Leyton Orient will take place on Tuesday, 18 February 18 - Kick-Off 19:45 GMT.

The game had been originally scheduled for last Saturday but was postponed due to Orient's FA Cup fourth round tie against Manchester City.

Wrexham face Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday, 11 February in the EFL Trophy.

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Wrexham celebrated the fourth anniversary of their Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney takeover by spreading their name even further across the United States.

And that's after the Hollywood story has already seen their social media profile rise by more than 2,000%.

Celebrity pair Reynolds and McElhenney formally became co-owners of the north Wales club on 9 February 2021.

Since then, the club has won two promotions to go from worries about relegation to the National League North to challenging for a place in next season's Championship.

It's come after 135 wins from 223 games – a win ration of just under 61% - with 455 goals scored in the process, with a total of 55 signings made over four years.

But the most eye-catching figures are that of their social media profile – something likely to have been increased by a Superbowl advert featuring Phil Parkinson and his side with Magic Mike star Channing Tatum.

The ad for one of their official sponsors sees the squad practice dance celebrations and was due to be screened during the NFL showpiece final between Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.

Known for their celebrity ads, spots are said to cost around $8m to reach an estimated audience of more than 120m.

It could well boost Wrexham's social media followers that already total more than 4.1m – 2,390% up on figures of 165,000 before Reynolds and McElhenney's high-profile involvement.

The club have gone from 41,000 followers on Instagram to 1.4m, with 1.6m new followers on TikTok, the platform that previously sponsored club shirts.

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Bolton look set to be without top scorer Aaron Collins in their bid to derail Wrexham's Wembley dreams on Tuesday night.

Wrexham are two wins from returning to the showpiece stadium having reached the quarter-finals of the EFL Trophy – a competition they are looking to win 20 years after doing so under Denis Smith.

But the tournament's two most recent winners stand in their way - holders Peterborough United await the winners of the last-eight tie between Phil Parkinson's side and 2023 champions Bolton.

Although promotion to the Championship remains the priority at the Racecourse, some fans – including former player Waynne Phillips – are dreaming of a double.

And their hopes could be boosted with the news that Wanderers will travel to north Wales with limited options, including a fitness doubt over former Wales Under-19 international Collins.

The ex-Newport County frontman has 15 goals this season, including six in the EFL trophy – making him the competition's leading scorer.

But he missed Saturday's comeback win over Crawley in League One with a hip problem picked up in training with new boss Steve Schumacher hoping his absence is "not too serious".

Bolton could also be waiting for news on the fitness of January loan signing Kion Etete, the Cardiff frontman also missing the 4-3 home victory after a thigh complaint suffered in the warm-up.

With Hungary international Szabolcs Schon suspended and three others – including weekend goalscorer Alex Murphy on loan from Newcastle – cup-tied, as well as other longer-term injuries, Wrexham's hopes of making progress into a home semi-final with Posh later this month could be boosted.

Parkinson has used the competition to make widespread changes to his team, including ten for the rearranged last-16 win over Port Vale last week.

But having had no weekend game to contend with, Parkinson could be tempted to go stronger – with January recruit Sam Smith available having not featured for Reading earlier in the competition.

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Wrexham will host Peterborough United in the semi-final of the EFL Trophy if they can win next Tuesday's quarter-final against Bolton Wanderers.

Wrexham thumped Port Vale earlier this week to set up the last-eight encounter with Bolton, which will be played at the Stok Racecourse.

Should they progress, Phil Parkinson's side will be back on home turf to face holders Peterborough in the week commencing 24 February.

In the other semi-final, Birmingham City were drawn at home to Bradford City.

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Injured duo Luke Bolton and Will Boyle have been omitted from Wrexham's updated squad list for the remainder of the 2024-25 English Football League (EFL) season.

Clubs are permitted to submit a list of up to 22 outfield players over the age of 21.

Phil Parkinson's side have named 21 players, which gives the League One side the option to add either versatile wing-back Bolton or centre-back Boyle - who are both sidelined with calf injuries - at a later date.

Outfield players born after 1 January, 2003 - in addition to goalkeepers - are automatically eligible.

January recruits Ryan Longman, Sam Smith and Jay Rodriguez are included.

"We've initially named 21 players," said Parkinson.

"We've obviously not named Luke Bolton or Will Boyle at this stage because both are still recovering from injuries, and we're going to assess that as we go along."

The full squad list is as follows:

. Ryan Barnett

• Lewis Brunt

• Andy Cannon

• Max Cleworth

• George Dobson

• George Evans

• Steven Fletcher

• Matty James

• Elliot Lee

• Ryan Longman

• Jack Marriott

• James McClean

• Jacob Mendy

• Paul Mullin

• Eoghan O'Connell

• Tom O'Connor

• Ollie Palmer

• Ollie Rathbone

• Jay Rodriguez

• Dan Scarr

• Sam Smith

Ian Mitchelmore
BBC Sport Wales

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Having had concerns over his forward players just a short while ago, Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson now has a plethora of options at his disposal.

Jay Rodriguez and Sam Smith both moved to the Stok Racecourse in the latter stages of the January transfer window to bolster the club's striker department - which already includes Paul Mullin, Steven Fletcher, Ollie Palmer, Jack Marriott and Mo Faal.

It will leave boss Parkinson with a regular but welcome selection headache over the final months of the campaign as Wrexham go in search of a third successive promotion and EFL Trophy glory.

But who are the front runners to lead the line for Wrexham at present?

With six League One goals to his name this season at a rate of 0.8 goals per 90 minutes, Fletcher is Wrexham's best-performing frontman at present.

He is followed by Marriott who - having been sidelined for three months due to a broken leg - averages 0.6 goals per 09 minutes in the league this season.

Five of Fletcher's six goals have come when the forward was introduced off the bench, so Parkinson may well be happy to keep the 37-year-old in his super sub role.

There is a hefty drop-off to Wrexham's other forwards, including Mullin (0.2 goals per 90 minutes) and Palmer (0.1 goals per 90 minutes) in the 2024-25 league season.

Back and shin injuries have hampered Mullin - who has started just nine league matches this campaign - although Parkinson certainly will not be doubting the 30-year-old's qualities given he has scored 110 goals in 171 outings for the club at a rate of a goal every 1.55 games since joining from Cambridge United.

He is also the club's seventh highest goal scorer in history.

As for Palmer, he attracted late transfer interest during the winter window but remains contracted to Wrexham until the summer of 2026.

At 21 years of age, Faal is comfortably the youngest of Wrexham's forwards.

The Gambian is yet to start a league match since moving to north Wales from West Bromwich Albion last summer, but has scored three times in his six starts across the EFL Trophy and League Cup.

As for new recruits Rodriguez and Smith, they both made their club debuts in the dramatic 2-1 win at Crawley Town on the opening day of February.

Smith was in terrific form for Reading in the opening half of the season, scoring 11 goals in 25 League One appearances for the Royals.

Veteran Rodriguez, 35, netted just twice in 20 Championship appearances for Burnley this season, although he started just eight of those matches.

Parkinson will hope Rodriguez's Premier League experience and overall quality will shine through in the third tier, while at 26 years of age, Smith is clearly a more long-term option for Wrexham.

Unlike in previous seasons under Parkinson, Wrexham have been far more reliant on goals spread throughout the squad this term - with Elliot Lee (seven) and Max Cleworth (six) among those chipping in.

But with such significant firepower in his ranks, Parkinson will have plenty of faith that those at the top end of the pitch can deliver between now and the end of the season as the club seeks to continue its rise to up the divisions.

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Wrexham's EFL Trophy quarter-final against Bolton will take place on Tuesday, 11 February.

Phil Parkinson's side beat Port Vale 4-1 on Tuesday night to progress to the last eight of the competition.

The League One promotion hopefuls had fallen behind in the first minute of the game, but goals from Andy Cannon, Harry Ashfield, Elliot Lee and Mo Faal saw them progress at Vale Park.

Tuesday's opponents Bolton, who sit ninth in League One, beat Lincoln City 1-0 on 14 January to book their place in the quarter-finals.

Wrexham have not reached the quarter-finals of the competition since 2005, when they went on to lift the trophy.

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Phil Parkinson faces a decision over his Wrexham squad after overseeing a record-breaking January transfer window.

Co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney green-lit an unprecedented spend on one player when the club broke the £1m barrier to land Reading striker Sam Smith.

That was followed by the addition of Premier League stalwart Jay Rodriguez to add further spark to the League One promotion-chasers' forward line.

Both came on the back of the signing of Hull City wideman Ryan Longman to bolster Parkinson's squad and their bid for an historic third straight promotion campaign.

But it now means Parkinson faces a dilemma because of English Football League (EFL) squad rules.

Following the end of a transfer window, clubs must submit squads for registration, with only those players named eligible to play in league fixtures.

And in the bottom two tiers they are restricted to naming a maximum of 22 players on the list.

That does not include goalkeepers, or players who qualified for under-21 football at the turn of the year – such as Seb Revan and Modou Faal, as well as local youth product Harry Ashfield, 18, who grabbed his first senior goal in Tuesday's EFL Trophy win over Port Vale.

But, illustrated by the 10 changes made at Vale Park, it still means Wrexham have a surplus of squad members, with 23 senior pros – meaning one has to miss out.

It is not the first time Wrexham have been posed such a problem with Billy Waters missing out last season, and Anthony Forde not named at the start of the current campaign, explaining why he was only permitted to feature in EFL Trophy fixtures before his release from his contract on deadline day.

Wrexham did make some room with midfielder James Jones' move to Burton, but there were no other significant outgoings in the final days of the window.

That's despite interest in frontman Ollie Palmer, who made it clear he was keen to remain at the Racecourse despite Wrexham now carrying seven strikers.

Parkinson can still add free agents to his list after the closure of the window, such was the case when midfielder Matty James was signed.

But the former Leicester City man now has to be among the 22, meaning Parkinson must decide which player will miss out from the squad charged with trying to jump ahead of Wycombe Wanderers into the third tier's automatic promotion spots.