Football
Wrexham Tipped as League One Contenders: Chris Wilder Backs Hollywood-Backed Red Dragons for Promotion Push
Wrexham have been identified as one of the teams to beat in League One this season.
Hollywood Fuels Wrexham’s Ambitious Rise
The Welsh club, owned by Hollywood Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds and fellow actor Rob McElhenney, are chasing a third straight promotion after exploding into life following the Americans’ takeover.
Led by former Bradford City, Hull City and Charlton Athletic boss Phil Parkinson, The Red Dragons have again been active in the transfer market as Reynolds and McElhenney chase what would be a remarkable hat-trick of promotions.
As a host of Hollywood A-listers continue to flock to the Racecourse Ground, Parkinson is being backed to oversee a challenge for Championship football by a rival manager who has witnessed his work at close quarters.
Sheff Utd Boss Praises Wrexham
The Blades won Tuesday’s first round Carabao Cup tie at Bramall Lane 4-2, despite falling behind to Will Boyle’s first-half finish.
Auston Trusty, Louie Marsh, Anis Slimane all responded for the hosts, with visiting defender Lewis Brunt also turning the ball into his own net.
Brunt, recently signed from Leicester City, was attempting to prevent Rhian Brewster from ending his near two-year drought in front of goal.
Fellow new arrival Seb Revan, acquired from Aston Villa, netted a late consolation for Wrexham who were watched by Eva Longoria when they began the new EFL campaign with a 3-2 victory over Wycombe Wanderers.
A promotion specialist himself after leading United from the third to the first tier of English football during his first spell in charge of his boyhood club, Wilder continued: “You know what you are going to get when you face Wrexham. They have a way of playing and they stick to it because it’s worked for them.
They’ll go well in their division. From what I’ve seen I’m sure of that. They’re moving in the right direction and they’ll be looking to continue on that journey.
Key Signings Signal Intent
With Ollie Rathbone, Dan Scarr, Callum Burton and George Dobson among those also completing moves to north Wales, Parkinson will be quietly confident of competing towards the summit of a division which also contains big names such as Birmingham City, Huddersfield Town, Charlton Athletic and Bolton Wanderers.
The Red Dragons have signed more than ten players in the summer window and have made their intentions for more success blatantly clear.
Wilder first got to know Parkinson when they both found themselves on the books of Southampton as youngsters. His fellow Blades fan Steve Parkin is Parkinson’s assistant.
“Phil knows his way around the game, and he’s got people around him who do too,” Wilder said. “They’re familiar faces and have quality players around them.”
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.