Wrexham

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Wrexham will face Manchester United in a pre-season friendly at Helsinki's Olympic Stadium on Saturday, July 18.

The north Wales club last played United at San Diego's Snapdragon Stadium (above) in 2023, winning 3-1 as they prepared for life in League Two.

Currently pushing to secure a place in the Premier League for next season, this summer's meeting with the Red Devils will be Wrexham's first trip to the Finnish capital and it will take place a week after they face Wisla Krakow in Poland.

"We're delighted to confirm our match in Helsinki against Manchester United," said Wrexham chief executive Michael Williamson.

"It will be a great occasion, at a famous venue against an iconic opponent, and just as importantly a good test on the pitch as part of our pre-season preparations.

"We look forward to seeing our supporters in Finland and meeting new fans from the Nordic region too."

Wrexham - owned by Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac - will also travel again to America, where they will face Leeds United in Tampa, Florida on Saturday, July 25.

Phil Parkinson's side will then take on Liverpool in New York on Wednesday, July 29 before completing the trip against a fourth Premier League side, meeting Sunderland in Mac's home city Philadelphia on Sunday, August 2.

"Our pre-season programme has come together, with some great games planned both in Europe and the United States and promises to be an exciting summer for all involved," added Williamson.

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Wrexham will hold an in-house training game on Wednesday as they bid to get certain players up to full speed for the remainder of their Championship run-in.

The Red Dragons will utilise their pre-scheduled training day in the aftermath of Tuesday's 5-1 loss to Southampton, allowing fringe players additional minutes on the pitch ahead of the club's return to action at Birmingham City on Sunday (12:00 BST).

According to WhoScored.com, forward Jay Rodriguez - who was unavailable until late December due to a stress fracture - has played just 16 minutes of Championship football this season.

Bailey Cadamarteri and Davis Keillor-Dunn - who both joined late on in the January transfer window - have played only 27 and 70 minutes respectively in the league since moving to north Wales.

In midfield, Matty James returned to action as a substitute in the loss to Southampton after two months on the sidelines with a toe injury.

It is hoped James' fellow central midfielder Ben Sheaf - who sustained a medial ligament knee injury in February - could feature during his side's run-in.

In defence, Dan Scarr has made just two Championship starts in 2026 while Lewis Brunt's sole appearance since suffering a thigh injury at Middlesbrough on 25 October came in the FA Cup against Chelsea.

Ryan Barnett has been restricted to just three substitute appearances across all competitions since the turn of the year and is also among those who will likely benefit from additional minutes.

Goalkeeper Danny Ward has not featured in a competitive match for Wrexham or Wales since recovering from the elbow injury he sustained at Millwall on 30 August.

Elsewhere, left wing-back Liberato Cacace - who has been plagued by injuries since joining Wrexham from Empoli last summer - has not yet returned to training following his latest issue.

On the training match, manager Phil Parkinson said: "We'll look at Ben (Sheaf) tomorrow (Wednesday) because we're going to come in and have a practice game for the lads who need some football, because obviously the (Birmingham) game's not until Sunday.

"It's never great coming in when you've got beat, but unfortunately it's a scheduled day's training and we need to be in together as a group and reflect on this game and be ready to respond."

Defeat by Southampton saw Wrexham drop to seventh, two points behind the Saints who have a game in hand.

Ian Mitchelmore
BBC Sport Wales

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One hefty defeat will not define Wrexham's season.

But it's fair to say their emphatic 5-1 loss to Southampton at Stok Cae Ras was damaging as far as their Championship play-off hopes are concerned.

While there is no shame in being beaten by a Saints side now unbeaten in 16 games across all competitions, there were some concerning aspects to the defeat.

Phil Parkinson alluded to his side's lacklustre defending, particularly from set-pieces, as something that will need to be worked on before Sunday's trip to Birmingham City.

For all of Wrexham's growth this season, the fact the manager said his team have to go "back to basics" when it comes to the defensive side of things demonstrated just how frustrated he was on Tuesday night.

Tonda Eckert's men were mesmerising in spells, and the German boss has a squad that boasts heaps of talent at his disposal.

So in that regard, the Red Dragons could be forgiven for licking their wounds and swiftly putting the game behind them.

Ultimately, Wrexham's top six destiny is no longer in their own hands, but that should not take away from what has been a memorable campaign so far.

A glance at the likes of Leicester City, Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion further down the table demonstrates just how incredibly well Wrexham have performed to even be in the mix for a play-off place.

And, with 15 points still to play for, the race for the top six is far from done and dusted.

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Phil Parkinson says Wrexham must get "back to the basics of defending" after his side shipped five goals against Southamton.

The Red Dragons dropped out of the Championship play-off places as a result of Tuesday night's 5-1 loss to the Saints - who leapfrogged Wrexham into sixth after securing a fourth successive Championship win.

Wrexham boss Parkinson says his side need to drastically improve defensively when they return to action against Birmingham City at St Andrew's on Sunday (12:00 BST).

"I think it's a night of reflection and getting back to basics for the weekend," said Parkinson.

"It's back to the drawing board tomorrow (Wednesday) when we come in as a staff. We've got to go down to St Andrew's and put in a back-to-basics performance to give us a chance of winning the game."

Defeat to Tonda Eckert's side was Wrexham's heaviest of the season and their worst on home soil since losing 7-2 to Gateshead in 2011.

Despite the setback, the Red Dragons remain in the hunt to challenge for a top-six place with five matches of the regular season still to play.

"This game can't define the season," added Parkinson.

"We've worked exceptionally hard to get in this position. We're in a very tough division as everybody knows.

"With five games to go, we've got to make sure we batten down the hatches as a group and come out with a response at the weekend."

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Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo is now eligible to represent Nigeria after his international transfer from England was approved by Fifa.

Born in Camden to Nigerian parents, Okonkwo represented England at various youth levels including Under-18s during his time at Arsenal.

The 24-year-old joined Wrexham on loan in 2023 and spent the season at the Stok Cae Ras before making the move permanent in the summer of 2024.

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Phil Parkinson lauded the quality of Josh Windass after the forward's "top-class" goal in Wrexham's 2-2 draw with West Bromwich Albion.

The 32-year-old netted his 12th goal of the campaign across all competitions as the Red Dragons came from 2-0 down to earn a point against the Baggies at The Hawthorns on Friday.

"He's a player who can produce big moments and he's done that with a brilliant finish," Parkinson said of Windass.

"He backs himself, he really does, and that's 12 for the season.

"It was a really top-class goal, it really was, so I'm delighted with it."

Lewis O'Brien netted Wrexham's equalising goal against West Brom as his side moved back above next opponents Southampton into sixth place in the Championship.

And the midfielder echoed Parkinson's thoughts on Windass - adding that the team as a whole have done well to contribute in front of goal this term.

"His quality is fantastic. He'll give everything on the pitch and he does pop up with the moments that, when you do need them, he seems to always be that person at the moment that gets the goal and gets the assists or whatever it is," said O'Brien.

"We've got a quality side and I think if you look throughout the season, it's not just been one person scoring all the goals, getting all the assists. We're all chipping in here and there.

"I probably could have got a few more than I've got at the moment, but I think we're all just trying our hardest to push Wrexham where we want to be."

Image source, PA Media

Phil Parkinson says it is "game on" for Wrexham in their promotion run-in as they prepare to return to home soil after three successive away matches.

The Red Dragons claimed four points from their fixtures at Watford, Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion to keep themselves in the mix for a play-off spot in the Championship.

Their 2-2 draw with the Baggies at The Hawthorns lifted Parkinson's men back up to sixth ahead of Tuesday's meeting with Southampton at Stok Cae Ras (20:00 BST), although the Saints have a game in hand.

"We'll take the point. If you look, before we played Watford, there were nine games to go, six away, three at home," said the Wrexham manager.

"I think people would have probably been looking at that thinking 'wow, that's going to be a tough challenge for Wrexham'.

"We got beaten at Watford, we beat Sheffield United and we drew here (at West Brom). We go into the last six games, three at home and three away, and it's game on."

Wrexham lost 3-2 to the Baggies in their opening home league game of the 2025-26 season.

Parkinson feels his side's fightback from two goals down against James Morrison's side, who are now unbeaten in five games, shows how far the Red Dragons have come since the early days of their return to the second tier.

"We have to appreciate where we've come from," added Parkinson.

"We're coming to West Brom competing in the top six while West Brom are at the bottom end of the table. That's a great credit to everyone at the club.

"Now the aim is to give absolutely everything in these final six games to finish the season off strongly."

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Phil Parkinson says Wrexham will face a West Bromwich Albion side "scrapping for their lives" when they meet at the Hawthorns in the Championship on Friday.

While Wrexham are looking to maintain their play-off push, West Brom are battling at the other end of the table.

The Baggies are four points above the relegation zone after four games unbeaten, and Parkinson says Wrexham will have to be ready against a team that won 3-2 at the Stok Cae Ras last August when Ryan Mason was their head coach.

"If you look at West Brom, early in the season they were riding high at the top of the table, then they had a really poor run," Parkinson said.

"They lost 10 successive away games, by very tight margins.

"I watched a few of those games and I thought Ryan Mason and Nigel Gibbs, the assistant, were very unlucky not to still be there at that point because the performances weren't far away.

"But that's the division, it's very tight, dividing lines as everyone's spoken about.

"And now another manager, James Morrison, has taken over and has got them going again.

"They're a good side and obviously they've found themselves down at the bottom and they're scrapping for their lives and we've got to be ready for that, but we will be."

Image source, FAW

Wrexham men's first team manager Phil Parkinson has congratulated the Women's team on clinching the Adran Premier title for the first time.

Jenny Sugarman's side beat defending champions Cardiff City 4-1 at the Stok Cae Ras last Sunday, with Parkinson among the spectators.

"Very pleased for Jenny and all the staff and the team and the club in general," Parkinson said.

"And obviously very pleased for them to get the job done with a week to go.

"It was great to watch and how much it meant to everybody when the final whistle went."

Wrexham, who will represent Wales in the Champions League, will receive the Adran Premier trophy when they face Swansea City in their final game on Sunday.

The club's Hollywood owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, pledged investment into the women's programme when they took over in February 2021.

"Women's football has gained significantly in popularity over the last few years," Parkinson added.

"And obviously we've had to catch up with the development of the team and the whole squad which Jenny has taken on board this season.

"Straight from the off, the owners have always been very committed to being inclusive as a football club with all areas and obviously the women's team is an integral part of that."

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson says continued good performances from Dom Hyam will give the defender every chance of securing a place in Scotland's World Cup squad.

Hyam, 30, won his second senior cap – three years after making his debut – against the Ivory Coast in a friendly on Tuesday evening.

Parkinson was at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium as Scotland lost 1-0 in their penultimate game ahead of this summer's World Cup finals.

"I thought he acquitted himself really well, which we expected because we know he's a good player," Parkinson said of Hyam.

"All Dom can do is continue playing well for us and do his talking on the pitch with his performance last night.

"He can't do any more than that."

Hyam was among five Wrexham players on international duty during the past two weeks.

Issa Kabore was a second half substitute as Burkina Faso drew 1-1 against Guinea-Bissau while Danny Ward and Nathan Broadhead were with Wales, the latter coming on in the second half against Northern Ireland.

Bailey Cadamarteri scored the winner for Jamaica in their World Cup play-off semi-final against New Caledonia – but the Reggae Boyz missed out on qualification after losing to Congo.

"Obviously for Bailey to have his moment, you know, followed in a free kick and do what all strikers should do, which is anticipate rebounds, brilliant and such a shame they couldn't get through.

"But again, they came up against a strong team in Congo."

Image source, Getty Images

Championship clubs spent just over £69.5m on agents fees over the past 12 months according to figures released by the Football Association,, external an increase of £6m on the previous year.

The figures cover the period from February 2025 with Ipswich Town the top spenders, paying £11.7m having spent the first three months of the accounting period in the Premier League.

Southampton (£8.3m) and Leicester (£5.8m), who were relegated alongside Ipswich are the second and third-highest payers on the list.

Troubled Sheffield Wednesday were the most frugal when dealing with agents, spending £534,559.

Wrexham come in sixth on the list with an outlay of £3.6m while current Championship leaders Coventry spent just short of £1.5m.

Championship agents' fee spending, external

• Ipswich - £11,738,920

• Southampton - £8,381,358

• Leicester City - £5,866,587

• Sheffield United - £5,005,498

• Norwich - £4,020,206

• Wrexham - £3,660,584

• Swansea - £3,088,645

• Middlesbrough - £2,900,314

• Bristol City - £2,774,990

• Hull City - £2,450,431

• Stoke City - £2,088,886

• Birmingham City - £1,996,502

• Millwall - £1,982,348

• Preston North End - £1,831,233

• QPR - £1,829,036

• Watford - £1,612,833

• Coventry - £1,497,990

• Derby - £1,409,507

• West Brom - £1,346,030

• Oxford - £1,235,536

• Charlton - £904,698

• Portsmouth - £831,818

• Blackburn - £676,980

• Sheffield Wednesday - £534,559