Striker Sam Smith enjoying the ‘journey’ of being a Wrexham player

Playing for high-profile Wrexham means you are ‘expected to perform’ in every match, including pre-season games against A-League opposition.

The “unique experience” of being a Wrexham player is one that club’s record signing Sam Smith admits took time getting used to.

But now that the 27-year-old striker has been at the Welsh outfit owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney for six months, he couldn’t thing of anywhere else he would rather be.

The Red Dragons have become somewhat of a global phenomenon since Reynolds and McElhenney bought the club reportedly for $4.1 million in February 2021.

On the back of three successive promotions, Wrexham will compete in the 2025-26 English Championship, meaning they are just a step away from gaining Premier League status.

The club is now worth more than $200 million dollars and is the subject of Welcome to Wrexham, a sports documentary television series that as won eight Emmy Awards.

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“It’s enjoyable and puts you on a platform to show everyone what you can do, and you’ve just got to enjoy the journey,” said Smith, who joined Wrexham in January from Reading for a club record fee of more than $2 million.

“Everyone wants to come to Wrexham and beat us knowing the attention it brings, but that’s part and parcel of it, and you’ve just got to adapt and do what you do best.

“It’s a unique experience. It’s one that takes a while to adjust to, but you’re thrown in and you’re expected to perform, so after a certain amount of time it becomes normal and you get used to it.”

To prepare for the new season, the Red Dragons are touring Australia and New Zealand, with their first game on Friday night against A-League club Melbourne Victory at Marvel Stadium.

“It’s an experience we’re all looking to enjoy. It’s an extremely important two weeks to spend with the team and the staff and bond,” Smith said.

“It means when you go through difficult times in a season, you’re all accustomed to each other and you’ll go that extra yard for each other.

“We’ll work on what we worked on last season and the way the manager (Phil Parkinson) wants us to play in his system, and we’ll got from there.”

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson (left) and his Melbourne Victory counterpart Arthur Diles will go head-to-head at Marvel Stadium on Friday night. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Smith also new additions to Wrexham’s squad ahead of the club’s season-opening clash against Southampton, who were relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season, on August 9 at St Mary’s Stadium.

“There are still quite a lot of players that need to come in. That’ll change the dynamics of the team,” he said.

The Red Dragons’ tour also includes games against Sydney FC (Tuesday night, Allianz Stadium) and Wellington Phoenix (Saturday week, Sky Stadium).

Originally published as Striker Sam Smith enjoying the ‘journey’ of being a Wrexham player