Wrexham to keep eye out for A-League talent on Australian tour

Wrexham FC has landed in Australia for its pre-season series, and while there was talk the club may take a Socceroo home to the Championship, the Hollywood star-powered club kept silent.

Wrexham AFC manager Phil Parkinson has had a close eye on the A-League because of its ability to breed players with the traits he says are vital to building a winning team.

The Welsh club, co-owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, has become a global phenomenon thanks to blockbuster documentary Welcome to Wrexham – and of course the outfit’s success on the pitch.

Wrexham has just been promoted to the English Championship – the league below the Premier League. It is the club’s third consecutive promotion.

Wrexham captain James McClean and Melbourne Victory’s Jordi Valadon. Picture: Jason Edwards

Parkinson brought the club to Australia and New Zealand for a pre-season tour against A-League sides Melbourne Victory, Sydney FC and Wellington Phoenix.

A pre-season trip to Australia has been on Parkinson’s list since he linked up with the club in 2021.

“The top teams in the A-League would be competitive (in the English Championship),” Parkinson said.

“There’s no doubt about that. We have the utmost respect for every team we play in every league because we know how competitive they all are.

“I’m looking forward to seeing it first hand from the touch line because then you get a feel for the standard of the opposition.

“We’ll be doing our homework on all three teams prior to the game so by the time comes I’ll have a real good understanding of the individuals in each team.”

Wrexham co-owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds celebrate after the club’s promotion to the Championship. Picture: Getty Images

Wrexham are recruiting heavily in the offseason, with Melbourne Victory and Socceroos player Ryan Teague previosuly been linked to the club.

Teague had a year left on his contract with Victory, and a move to the Championship would certainly have proved a boost for him ahead of the World Cup - but the rising star has since signed with Belgian outfit KV Mechelen, inking a three-year deal.

Parkinson wouldn’t show his hand when it came to recruitment plans but did reveal he had looked closely at the A-League.

“I’m always looking everywhere because obviously for us to bring in a player from New Zealand or Australia would be great for the club,” Parkinson said.

“But obviously that player is going to need to be the right one. This summer in particular we’ve been looking in all areas because the UK market is very expensive and very competitive so sometimes you’ve got to look a little bit outside the box to find a player with the hunger, quality and growth to develop.”

Victory and Socceroos gun Ryan Teague had been linked with a move to Wrexham. Picture: Getty Images

Parkinson said he has worked and played with players from Australia and New Zealand previously in his career.

“Those lads had a great mentality, every single one of them, honesty and desire and that’s a real trait of those lads I’ve worked with,” he said.

“And that’s why they were able to adapt very well into the leagues over here which are very competitive.”

The pre-season tour will be vital to Wrexham’s preparation for its first season in the Championship. The club has earned promotion for three consecutive years and Parkinson said earning entry to the Premier League was definitely on his list of goals this season.

“You’ve got to aim high and that’s not getting carried away with ourselves but we’ve also got to be realistic as well,” Parkinson said.

“We’re going into a league with a lot of teams in a division with a lot of spending power and a lot of established sides.

“Of course we are going to build the squad to be as competitive as possible.

“At the end of the season I just want to look back and say that the team continued to play in the manner we have done over the last few seasons and represented ourselves and the town the right way.

“We’ll see where that takes us at the end but there is a lot of work to be done on recruitment before then.”

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson speaks to media in Melbourne ahead of the pre-season series.

When asked what the secret was to the team’s success Parkinson took little credit.

The coach instead said it all came down to filling the dressing room with the right people.

Not necessarily the most talented players but those with the right mentality.

“You need to make sure you’ve recruited lads that if things go against them individually or they are left out of the team or the team’s not winning they still remain good people,” Parkinson said.

“I’ve been a manager for a long time and that never changes the strength of the dressing room and the group is absolutely paramount to the success.”

Originally published as Wrexham to keep eye out for A-League talent on Australian tour