Phil Parkinson has dropped a hint on who he’s going to pick to become his next Wrexham captain.
Wrexham basked in the glory of their promotion celebrations after clinching a return to League One.
The Reds will play third-tier football for the first time in almost two decades, with Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds eyeing a passage straight to the Championship.
A second successive promotion was celebrated in Las Vegas as Andy Cannon branded the trip as “special”, but it also marked the end of the road for some players, including veteran defender Ben Tozer and captain Luke Young.
Young played a pivotal role in Wrexham’s record-breaking promotion campaign in 2022/23 as he featured 38 times in the National League. The midfielder then saw his game time reduced in League One, making just 12 starts.
The 31-year-old was still a vital part of the dressing room, though, setting a big example to the younger players with his professionalism. Young will leave the Racecourse Ground after breaking the 250 mark for appearances, while leaving Phil Parkinson with a decision to make.
Phil Parkinson drops hint over next Wrexham captain
Parkinson has the unenviable task of choosing the next captain of Wrexham and fortunately, the 56-year-old is spoilt for choice with an abundance of experienced players to choose from.
During Young’s absence from the starting XI, Parkinson leaned on utility man James McCean to take the armband or goal machine Paul Mullin.
Whilst those two are firmly in the running to grab the armband full-time, there’s one other player he’s hinted at selecting; underrated centre-back Eoghan O’Connell.
Speaking to The Leader, Parkinson said: “Luke and Ben were both very good captains for us over the last few years,” said the Reds’ boss.
“They move on to the next challenge in their careers and we will make a decision on the new captain.
“Obviously Mulls has had the armband and James McClean has wore the armband as well.
“I feel we have got some good leadership qualities in the group and that is important in any season.
“Eoghan O’Connell has captained the team before so there is plenty of leadership potential which is great from our point of view.”
Eoghan O’Connell would make a great Wrexham captain
O’Connell is a pillar of consistency at the heart of Wrexham’s defence and one of several in the squad who have played in League One.
The 28-year-old has turned out in the third tier for Bury, Rochdale, Walsall and Charlton Athletic, racking up 120 appearances for those respective clubs.
During his three-year stint at Rochdale, O’Connell assumed responsibility of captain, marshalling a defence that he helped keep in the league on two occasions; 2018/19 and 2019/20.
In terms of experience at this level, only Cannon and Elliot Lee – of players in the Wrexham squad – have made more appearances than O’Connell.
The Irish titan, lauded as “super” for his impressive defensive displays last term, showcased the numbers to match his talent by recording 1.8 interceptions per game, 1.5 tackles and 6.5 balls recovered.
Not only does he lead by example on the pitch and see the bigger picture, but he was flawless defensively alongside Max Cleworth and Tom O’Connor.
Parkinson’s comments on O’Connell show he’s in his thinking for captain and no one could begrudge the decision to give him the armband if that is who he opts for.
The post ‘I feel…’: Phil Parkinson hints at naming ‘super’ Wrexham player as captain, it’s not Paul Mullin appeared first on The Wrexham Insider.