Wrexham

Wrexham have registered interest in Southampton striker Adam Armstrong, 28, with Saints wanting £15m for the Englishman. (Alan Nixon - requires subscription), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Monday's gossip column here.

Image source, Getty Images

Ollie Rathbone says Wrexham's QPR comeback showed why they are a play-off contender – just as he showed why he is rivalling the very best in front of goal.

Rathbone reckons the 3-2 win at Loftus Road typified the mentality Phil Parkinson has built in the Red Dragons' dressing room.

But it was the 29-year-old midfielder who the fans were serenading loudest in west London after his injury-time winner.

It is the fourth league goal this season for Rathbone who missed the first three months of the campaign after a pre-season ankle injury.

And that is despite playing just 266 minutes in the Championship, with two league starts and seven appearances off the bench.

It means Rathbone has averaged a goal every 67 minutes of league action – far outstripping the rest of the Championship top scorers.

It was Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson who highlighted his goals-per-minute ratio as he heaped on praise for Rathbone and fellow goalscorer Josh Windass.

But Rathbone himself insisted it was what the result meant for the team that was of more importance, saying: "It was a difficult start to the season for me, it felt I was playing catch up a little bit but now I'm feeling good and loving being part of this group.

"We had great run over Christmas with four wins in a row and we were all keen to show it wasn't a flash in the pan.

"So after a rocky week and up against it at 2-1 down, to get the win is amazing."

The away win came after coming unstuck at the Cae Ras in successive fixtures, first losing against Norwich before conceding in the last minute to draw with Leicester.

"I think it shows a lot about the group and the mentality that we were really disappointed with drawing with Leicester who have been Premier League Champions and FA Cup winners not so long ago," Rathbone said.

"It was a kick in the teeth and we were kicking ourselves for throwing away two points and then, with five minutes to go [at QPR] we're looking at the clock with a similar feeling.

"But I thought then we showed why we're in the position we are in the league."

The win moved Wrexham into the top six for the first time since promotion to this level, but although Rathbone admitted the game could prove a significant moment, he added: "If you get carried away you can easily fall down the table.

"But for now we're in a great place, the team's in a really good spirits, the group's together, and it's really enjoyable to be part of."

Image source, Getty Images

Phil Parkinson says Wrexham are "better equipped" to face Queens Park Rangers on Saturday (15:00 GMT) than they were in the reverse fixture in September.

Julien Stephan's side beat the Red Dragons 3-1 at Stok Cae Ras early on in the campaign, although Wrexham have significantly improved in the months since that contest.

"I think we're better equipped now. It's just adapting to the league," said Parkinson.

"We showed the other night [against Leicester City], if you look back at the performance, the lads gave so much.

"It was a really good performance in difficult conditions against a team which was in the Premier League last year.

"When we're beating ourselves up about drawing with an ex-Premier League team, it just shows where we've come from. But there's an expectation on us now as individuals and collectively that we can compete with anybody at the level."

Wrexham have no fresh injury concerns following the 1-1 draw with Leicester on Tuesday.

Rangers trail Wrexham by just one point in the Championship table, and Parkinson feels the league position of the two clubs will be reflected at Loftus Road.

"It's a tight ground, they're a competitive team who have been in and around the mix for most of the season and they're solid defensively," he said.

"It will just be another tight game separated on detail I'm sure.

"It's really about us concentrating ourselves and picking the team who we feel is right for this one."

He added: "QPR is going to be another test from a team, I've lost count of the amount of years they've been in the Championship, that are striving to get into that play-off zone.

"I always loved playing there as a player, particularly at Reading, it was a close proximity to Reading and managing there, there's always a good atmosphere and I know we've sold out our tickets - there's a big demand for it.

"It's one of those traditional grounds in terms of the atmosphere and it really is a great place to play and manage."

Image source, EFL

A new initiative highlighting the work of football club charities has been launched by the English Football League (EFL).

'Scan to Smile' will be rolled out in stadiums across the EFL from Friday until the end of January, with supporters invited to scan QR codes on posters displayed around grounds.

Each scan will unlock a short, uplifting story from a person whose life has been positively impacted by the support of their local club charity.

The subjects tackled include mental health support, combating loneliness, improving physical wellbeing, employability and confidence.

The EFL said it hoped the initiative would use "the reach and influence of football to offer fans a moment of positivity on matchday".

Trevor Birch, chief executive at the EFL, said: "Behind every club are people whose lives have been positively changed through the work and dedication of their local EFL club charity.

"This initiative gives supporters the chance to see that impact first-hand and reminds us that football truly is a force for good."

Millwall, Wrexham and Rangers are interested in signing 26-year-old Tunisia right-back Yan Valery from Sheffield Wednesday. (The Star), external

Read all the latest EFL transfer rumours in Friday's gossip column here.

Image source, FAW

Wrexham's youngsters have broken new ground by beating Southend United to reach the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup for the first time in the club's history.

Jac Jones, Carrick Murphy and Sammy Chesworth all netted for the Red Dragons' under-18s in a 3-1 victory over the Shrimpers' young guns at Roots Hall.

Craig Knight's side will take on five-time winners and defending champions Aston Villa in round five as they bid to continue their memorable run in the competition.

Image source, PA Media

Mo Faal's season-long loan with Port Vale has been cut short with the forward returning to Wrexham to undergo treatment on an injury.

The 22-year-old made 23 appearances across all competitions for the struggling League One side, scoring three goals, but sustained an injury in Vale's 1-0 win at Bolton Wanderers earlier this month.

Faal is heading back to north Wales with Wrexham saying they will "assess his next steps following treatment".

Faal joined Wrexham from West Bromwich Albion in the summer of 2024 and has made 16 senior appearances for the Red Dragons.

Each of his three goals for Phil Parkinson's side came in the EFL Trophy during the 2024-25 season.

This will be Wrexham's first trip to Loftus Road in 22 years and they will be looking to avoid falling to a second successive league double, albeit the last one was in 2004.

QPR's past two league games have finished goalless against Stoke and Oxford United respectively.

• QPR have won each of their past four league games against Wrexham in succession, as many as across their prior 12 matches combined between 1960 and 2001 (D4 L4).

• Wrexham have won just two of their nine away league games against QPR in club history, winning 2-1 in September 1962 and 1-0 in October 1980.

• QPR have kept a clean sheet in each of their past three league games, drawing the last two 0-0. They last went four without conceding in December 2024.

• Wrexham have won each of their past two away league games and will be looking to win three in succession in the second tier of English football for the very first time.

• Wrexham's Sam Smith has scored nine goals in his past 16 league starts, netting in each of his past three in a row.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Wales striker Iwan Roberts reckons Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson should consider finding places in his starting line-up for both Kieffer Moore and Sam Smith.

After a spell out with injury, Moore returned to Parkinson's starting line-up in Tuesday's draw with Leicester City at the expense of Smith (above).

Wales international Moore has been Wrexham's first choice in attack this season and has scored 12 goals since joining from Sheffield United last summer.

Former Reading player Smith, 27, seized his chance while Moore was sidelined, scoring in three successive Championship games before the Foxes draw.

As Wrexham prepare for a trip to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, Roberts believes the Red Dragons could start with Moore and Smith in attack.

Image source, Getty Images

"The way Wrexham play, with five at the back, I think they could play both and it would benefit both - they would complement each other," he said on this week's Feast of Football podcast.

"Phil likes two number 10s. He likes [Josh] Windass, [Nathan] Broadhead or [Lewis] O'Brien. I think you could turn it around and just get one of those behind two centre-forwards.

"I think Kieffer Moore and Sam Smith, the old-fashioned big man, little man combination, would work really well for Wrexham."

Roberts reckons Moore and Smith would bring different qualities to Wrexham's frontline.

"They can't be as direct when Sam Smith is up front - they have got to get different quality up to him," he added.

"He has got more pace. Big Kieffer works the channels well but I think Sam Smith does it better."

Image source, Getty Images

Danny Ward is among the players set to feature for Wrexham in a behind-closed-doors fixture against Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday.

The goalkeeper has been sidelined since sustaining an elbow injury during the Red Dragons' 2-0 win over Millwall at The Den in late August.

But having missed his side's 1-1 draw in a friendly with Liverpool earlier this month, Ward is now available to take part against Bolton next week, along with team-mates Aaron James and Lewis Brunt.

"Danny Ward is going to play in that one and that's important for Danny because the Liverpool game just came a little bit too soon for him. He's ready now," said Phil Parkinson.

"Brunty and Aaron James as well, they've also been training and need a game.

"So that's going to be a big day for those players and Brunty and Aaron, let's not underestimate those two lads.

"Brunty was doing really well, he was in the team on merit when he got injured at Middlesbrough. He's trained really well but he'll be involved on Tuesday and from then on he's right in the mix to get his shirt back."

Image source, Getty Images

Wrexham are carefully managing Liberato Cacace following his recent return from injury.

The New Zealand international has sustained three separate injury issues since joining the Red Dragons from Italian side Empoli in the summer.

But he has featured four times since the turn of the year and netted his first goal for the club as Wrexham dumped Premier League Nottingham Forest out of the FA Cup.

Despite feeling close to his best again, the left wing-back says he will rely on the guidance of the club's medical team to ensure he does not suffer any further injury issues.

"I think I'm just being managed quite carefully this time around," he said.

"I'm looking to the medical staff, trying to build me up 60, 75 and 90 minutes.

"I feel quite good and hopefully I can go again in the next game."

Phil Parkinson's side return to action against Queens Park Rangers in west London on Saturday (15:00 GMT) having played three successive matches on home soil.

QPR won the reverse fixture 3-1 in mid-September, although Cacace feels Wrexham can be far more competitive this weekend having significantly improved since that contest in north Wales.

"They're also a quality side, they're up there as well on the ladder," said Cacace of QPR.

"If you look back at the game they played here against us, they beat us, so we're looking to turn that around and get three points against them."

The 25-year-old defender said his own club have "come on leaps and bounds since that game".

"You can obviously see that, and the expectations also change, so we're hoping to go there and get three points," he added.

"To be in ninth place, it's in touching distance of the top six and we just need to make sure that we keep building game by game to get that end goal I guess."

Image source, Shutterstock

All English Football League games across a four-day period in February will begin one minute late to raise awareness for the Every Minute Matters campaign.

The initiative will be in place for 36 matches across the Championship, League One and League Two between 5 and 9 February.

EFL sponsor Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) have been working together since May 2024 to highlight the importance of speed when it comes to performing live-saving CPR.

Later kick-off times will serve as "a stark reminder that every minute matters", the EFL said.

Bristol Rovers defender Tom Lockyer collapsed while playing for Luton Town eight minutes into the Championship play-off final against Coventry in May 2023.

Lockyer then suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch seven months later during a Premier League game at Bournemouth.

"What happened to me can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time," said Lockyer, who is now a BHF ambassador.

"Every year, more than 40,000 people in the UK suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and most of them never make it home.

"I'm here today because of the transformative power of CPR as every minute matters when it comes to saving a life.

"This February, we want everyone to get behind this life-saving initiative, learn the skills and be ready to step in because your actions could give someone else the chance I was given."

Throughout February, the Every Minute Matters campaign will call on fans to learn CPR using the BHF's online RevivR, external tool.

"Each minute without CPR reduces a person's chance of survival, so we're urging fans to learn the skills now, before you ever need them," said Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the BHF.

EFL chief executive officer Trevor Birch added: "The one minute kick-off adjustment is a simple, powerful reminder that swift CPR can be the difference between life and death."

Image source, Nick Potts/PA Wire

Phil Parkinson says Lewis O'Brien's energy levels are of "top Premier League" standard following his impressive display in Wrexham's 1-1 draw with Leicester City.

O'Brien netted his fourth goal of the season shortly after the hour mark at Stok Cae Ras as the hosts looked on course for victory on Tuesday night.

But the Foxes bagged a late equaliser, with Jannik Vestergaard's 90th-minute strike ensuring the points were shared.

O'Brien was among the standout performers for the Red Dragons, and manager Parkinson says he has been hugely impressed with the midfielder's energy since he joined the club from Nottingham Forest last summer.

"He's got four goals, he's got assists and I thought he was great [against Leicester]," said Parkinson.

"The way he set the press off for us, him and [Ollie] Rathbone, it was just what we needed against them, especially in these conditions.

"The amount of times he pressed the ball and won it back, and when he goes, he goes at such pace.

"He got goals early in the season then he's had a spell where they haven't gone in for him, but a lot of those chances he's created himself with his pressing.

"He's a great little player, his energy is completely off the scale. His running stats are top Premier League, never mind Championship."

Image source, PA Media

Phil Parkinson was pleased with Wrexham's response to their 2-1 loss to Norwich City despite conceding late on in their 1-1 draw with Leicester City.

The Red Dragons looked on course for victory over Marti Cifuentes' outfit as Lewis O'Brien bagged his fourth goal of the season in the 63rd minute.

But the Foxes snatched a point in the 90th minute as Jannik Vestergaard fired beyond Arthur Okonkwo.

"You take the moment at the end out of it, I'd be saying it was a really gritty, hard-working performance and a great response from the weekend," said Parkinson.

"But the gloss is taken off it because we haven't dealt with a ball into the box."

Such was Wrexham's control on proceedings, Leicester's late goal was their only strike on target after they went behind in north Wales.

"We're frustrated but apart from one counter attacking moment in the second half, we weren't troubled in the whole night," added Parkinson.

"There was a silence at the end because I think everybody knew that we've deserved the three points, but you sometimes don't get what you deserve.

"But we've got to make sure that we concentrate right to the end."

Despite failing to hold on for victory, the draw lifted Wrexham up to ninth in the Championship table - moving them to within two points of the play-off places.