Wrexham

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Boss Phil Parkinson believes Wrexham can enjoy the "underdog" tag as they begin their 2025-26 Championship campaign at Southampton today (12:30 BST).

Two tiers separated the sides last season, although the Saints are among the promotion favourites this term to secure an immediate return to the Premier League.

Ahead of what will be his side's first season in the second tier since 1981-82, Parkinson says it is difficult to predict what Wrexham can expect against Will Still's outfit.

"There's huge expectation on the teams who have come down and we can enjoy that underdog card going down there," he said.

"What am I expecting? It's difficult to predict their line-up because they've had a few injuries over pre-season and a few players in the background may be moving, they may still be there.

"I'm sure their manager is getting asked the same questions I am.

"If it's three or four weeks into the season, you can predict how teams are going to play and what shape they're going to play, but I think this one is slightly more difficult.

"So it's about concentrating on what we feel we need to do to be at our best at the weekend."

Heading into his fifth campaign as manager with Wrexham, Parkinson has already secured three promotions during his time at the Stok Cae Ras.

And the 57-year-old says he was afforded some time during the off-season to be with his family to reflect on the club's remarkable progress, rising from the National League under the ownership of Hollywood pair Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

"There's definitely been some reflection. We all had our separate holidays and it was great to be away with the family and see my parents who live in the North East and spend a bit of time with them to talk about the achievement," he said.

"Once the season is up and running, it's kind of 100mph.

"When you look at the competitiveness of that division (League One), to get promoted was tremendous for us all.

"It was a huge effort. Sometimes people look at us and think 'Wrexham have just spent money, that's it'. No, there's a lot of detail, thought and structure behind the scenes which has taken place to enable us to get those three promotions."

"The amount of new managers coming into the league this year, I have never seen anything like it".

Aaron Paul and Jobi McAnuff are joined by special guests Tommy Smith and Alex Bruce to preview the 2025-26 Championship season.

They discuss a range of topics including assessing chances of sides coming down from the Premier League, who the contenders might be for the top six and take a deep dive of each of the sides promoted from League One.

Listen to the full episode of 72+ and more on BBC Sounds.

There may not have been a Hollywood ending to Southampton's season in the Premier League, but there's a Hollywood beginning to their life back in the Championship.

Wrexham head to St Mary's for the opening game of the season (12:30 BST) - the first the Red Dragons will play in the second tier of English football in more than 43 years.

Their extraordinary rise through the divisions, courtesy of back-to-back-to-back promotions under Phil Parkinson, with the much-publicised backing of actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, has Wrexham fans dreaming of yet another push for promotion.

Saints fans are just looking to get back to winning ways after a season in which they lost 30 of their 38 Premier League fixtures, winning only two and accruing 12 points.

New boss Will Still said the club want to 'turn the page' on last season, and what better way to start than in a match sure to capture the attention of millions around the globe.

• This is the first meeting in any competition between Southampton and Wrexham since the 1979-80 League Cup second round, when Saints won 5-0 at home and 3-0 away in a two-legged tie.

• The last league encounter between Southampton and Wrexham was in April 1960 in the third tier, with the Welsh side winning 2-1 through goals from Ron Harbertson and Bernard Evans.

• Southampton have won one of their past 11 opening fixtures of a league campaign (W1, D4, L6), though that sole victory came during their only Championship fixture in that time – a 2-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday in August 2023.

• Wrexham are unbeaten across their past 10 league games (W7, D3), conceding multiple goals in just one of those matches. The Welsh side last had a longer unbeaten stint in the EFL between March and August 2003 (18 games).

• Wrexham will play their first second-tier game in 43 years and 86 days when they face Southampton. It is the longest gap between matches in England's second tier since Doncaster Rovers returned in 2008 (50 years and 105 days).

Image source, Getty Images

Phil Parkinson has held talks with Ollie Palmer this week as the striker appears destined to leave Wrexham before the summer transfer window deadline.

The 33-year-old is in the final year of his contract at the Stok Cae Ras and has not played for the club in a competitive fixture since featuring in a 4-1 EFL Trophy win at Port Vale in early February.

And having recruited forwards Kieffer Moore, Josh Windass and Ryan Hardie during the off-season, Parkinson says Palmer - scorer of 44 goals in 149 appearances since joining from Wimbledon in January 2022 - is among a number of players who could depart the club over the coming weeks.

"Kieffer Moore comes in, I've had a good chat with Ollie Palmer this week. He needs to go and play this season, he knows that," said Parkinson.

"He's been a great servant to the club, a real key player in the climb up the divisions but he's ready to go and play, so there's an example.

"We spoke about Jacob Mendy a couple of weeks ago and there's other players in that category.

"But equally there's also a group who want to prove themselves and they're going to get the opportunity to do that.

"There's a lot of players who have enjoyed being a part of this club and rightly so.

"But they know for their own careers they need to play. If we feel that the time is right for that to happen, then we'll help it happen and get them a club where we feel it's going to be beneficial for them."

Prior to their 2025-26 Championship opener against Southampton at St Mary's Stadium on Saturday (12:30 BST), Wrexham have confirmed frontman Mo Faal has joined Port Vale on a season-long loan deal.

Club icon Paul Mullin left to join Wigan Athletic on loan earlier on in the window while left-back Mendy is also expected to depart on a temporary basis.

"I think inevitably players are going to go," explained Parkinson.

"That's sometimes for the benefit of the player as well. There's players who didn't get a lot of game time last year who need for themselves to go and play.

"What I feel we've done well, we've been very fair to everybody over the last four years since Rob [McElhenney] and Ryan [Reynolds] came in. Everybody's been treated respectfully.

"Decisions have got to be made because, we've got to be realistic, we're going into a very competitive division with a lot of spending power across the board.

"So players will go and it'll genuinely be the ones who we feel need to get some game time and that may be loan or permanent deals."

Image source, Rex Features

Matty James says he has been grateful for his "crazy" spell at Wrexham so far following a "whirlwind" summer last year.

The central midfielder was released by Bristol City in May 2024 and was without a club until moving to the Stok Cae Ras in October on a short-term basis.

But he went on to sign a contract until June 2026 and featured 33 times in all competitions under Phil Parkinson to help the club gain automatic promotion from League One.

"Last summer was a bit of a whirlwind," he said.

"I went into Leicester, they were fantastic and kept me fit, and then the opportunity came from Wrexham and I took it with both hands.

"Lo and behold we get promoted and I'm back in the Championship.

"It's been a crazy nearly 12 months and I'm really grateful for that.

"I was having doubts over whether I'd play again but it couldn't have happened any better really, getting ready for a Championship game on Saturday afternoon."

The end of Wrexham's 2025-26 season will mark 10 years since James was on the books at Leicester City when they stunned the football world by winning the Premier League.

James missed the entirety of that memorable season due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury, although he admits he is bidding to remain an integral part of Wrexham's "fairy tale" having missed out on the Foxes' glorious title win almost a decade ago.

"It'd be a book end. 10 years ago? That's unbelievable," he said.

"As a group of players, everybody's aware of the story and the conversation that comes with it.

"I think the main thing is we go out and enjoy it as well because, from where the club's been to where it is now, it's a fairy tale story and I hope that continues."

Now at 34 years of age and with the likes of Lewis O'Brien and George Thomason brought in to the squad during the summer, James' sole aim is to continue to feature and contribute regularly for Wrexham.

"The personal aim is I want to play as many games as I possibly can," he explained.

"I want to prove I can still play in the Championship at 34 years old. That's what drives me and just to help the lads as much as possible.

"For me at the moment, I feel great, I've got a real spring in my step.

"I've enjoyed the football club and everything about it. I want to play here for as long as possible."