Luke Young captained Wrexham to successive promotions, although his six-year stay at the Racecourse Ground came to an end as the 2023/24 campaign drew to a close.
Young made over 250 appearances for the Reds but as Phil Parkinson assembles a squad capable of challenging for promotion out of League One, he saw the 31-year-old as surplus to requirements.
The 56-year-old couldn’t find a regular spot for the midfielder in his starting plans, and this refreshing honesty went down well with Young, who claimed it gave him even more respect for his manager.
The Englishman made club history by captaining his side to promotion twice in a row and is currently looking for his next challenge.
Luke Young issues Wrexham League One prediction
It’s difficult to say how Wrexham will do next season as the only activity they’ve done so far is offloading several of their players.
That doesn’t mean Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds aren’t confident, with the Hollywood duo claiming they’ll do whatever it takes to win promotion.
Now Young is an outsider looking in on Wrexham, the ex-Plymouth Argyle player has issued his prediction for the upcoming season.
He believes Parkinson’s men will finish in mid-table and supporters should snap their hands off for stability in the third tier, although he hasn’t ruled them out challenging for a third consecutive promotion.
Speaking on the Rob Ryan Red podcast, Young said: “I think, realistically, can it happen? There’s no reason why it can’t with a few more signings, which I’m sure they’ll bring in due course.
“But even if I was still there as a player, if you finish mid-table in League One after getting promoted twice, I don’t think you can look at that as a problem as a fan.
“I think the hype of everything, the highs of everything, there’s going to come a time when there’s going to be a little dip. And if that is being stable in League One for next year, I think you should snap your hand off.”
What Wrexham need to challenge for promotion
Wrexham felt like they were a big fish in a small pond in League Two as McElhenney and Reynolds were able to outspend their rivals.
That isn’t the case in League One as several EFL heavyweights – including Bolton Wanderers, Huddersfield Town and Birmingham City – are gearing up for a promotion challenge.
Competition for the top two positions in the table, and even for the playoffs, is going to be fierce. Wrexham will need to be savvy in the transfer window to plug certain areas with quality.
Parkinson has already done a successful job of offloading some of their deadwood, it’s now about how they invest in key positions.
A starting goalkeeper, whether that is Arthur Okonkwo, remains a top priority while a centre-back to challenge Max Cleworth, Eoghan O’Connell and Tom O’Connor is equally important.
Wrexham also need top drawer experience at left-back to provide competition for Jacob Mendy, a midfield metronome to add quality depth to their engine room and a goal machine to partner Paul Mullin.
Successfully signing such personnel, perhaps making at least six additions to their squad, can see the Reds at least consolidate in League One, or maybe even challenge the league’s best.
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