Harry Redknapp is one of the most iconic managers in English football and has now given his verdict on Wrexham’s rise towards League One.
Wrexham have gone from being trapped in the National League to now being one of the most talked about clubs in English football, or perhaps even the world.
Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds have been the driving force behind their success, with the Hollywood owners pumping lots of cash into the club and showing ambition in every department.
Phil Parkinson’s men achieved an instant escape from League Two with a squad and budget that was far too good for the division.
Now they’re in League One, Parkinson has spoken of the ‘complications’ he’s currently having with signing players as they attempt to build on their already strong squad.
Reflecting on their rise up the pyramid, iconic manager Harry Redknapp has had his say.
Harry Redknapp shares the two main factors behind Wrexham’s rise
Having nearly accumulated over 1000 games in football management across clubs such as West Ham, Tottenham and Portsmouth, Redknapp is well placed to comment on Wrexham’s rise into League One.
The 77-year-old has pinpointed two main factors behind their success; the signing of Paul Mullin and the appointment of manager Parkinson.
As cited by GOAL, Redknapp said: “They bought good players, a good manager. They gave themselves a real chance. The lad [Paul] Mullin, they got him playing in non-league, dropped down from playing in the League to go and play in the National League because they could pay that sort of money.
“They have done great. It’s a good set-up. It’s great to see what they are doing for Wrexham – the people having such a great time with their football club, it has brought great publicity to the area.
“The manager is good, Phil Parkinson has done well wherever he has been. They are in a great place and could go through again next year and get another promotion. I think Birmingham will come back stronger as well.”
Phil Parkinson was a masterstroke appointment
To say they’d only been in charge of Wrexham for five months at the time of his arrival, the appointment of Parkinson was a master stroke from McElhenney and Reynolds.
In some ways, Parkinson matched their strategy of plucking experienced assets from the EFL. The 56-year-old had achieved promotions with Colchester, Bradford City and Bolton Wanderers before joining the Reds, so to persuade him to drop down to the National League was a show of their ambition.
That has since been followed by a bucket load of quality players arriving through the door, including goal machine Mullin, midfielder Elliot Lee and most recently, George Evans, Steven Fletcher and James McClean last summer.
Their capacity to attract a big name like Parkinson gave them an advantage in the transfer market as the players, particularly those who arrived in 2021, could see they meant business.
In leading Wrexham to consecutive promotions, Parkinson has shown what a good manager he is and there aren’t many others they’d choose to manage them in League One.
The post 'It's great…': Harry Redknapp shares 2 key factors behind McElhenney & Reynolds' Wrexham success appeared first on The Wrexham Insider.