Phil Parkinson savours Wrexham's League One promotion as he admits teams have 'extra edge to beat us' after arrival of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney

Reflecting on securing promotion for the second year running after thrashing Forest Green, having gone from the National League to League Two in 2023, to now securing a place in League One in 2024, Parkinson alluded to other sides putting a target on Wrexham's back because of the club's high profile.

Since acting duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney first made known their intention to take over Wrexham in 2020, global interest in the Welsh side has snowballed, thanks in no small part to the internationally streamed series Welcome to Wrexham.

Parkinson told Wrexham's official website: "It's a very proud moment for myself and all the staff but we always speak about how everybody has to pull together in a football club to achieve days like this – we've certainly had that since I came in.

"It means so much because getting promotions and getting over the line at the end of the season is hard because everybody has wanted to beat us this season as we know, with the publicity that we got last year, teams have had that extra edge to try and beat us."

Parkinson has achieved five promotions during his managerial career to date. Two have been with Wrexham, this season and last, but his first was taking Colchester into the Championship in 2006, before getting Bradford into League One in 2013 and going up to the Championship with Bolton in 2017.

Will Wrexham become the third different club that Parkinson has guided to the Championship as they take on League One next season? Ultimately, the club's ambition is to go even higher than that and reach the Premier League, with Reynolds stating in 2023: "If it takes five years, or 20 years, that's the goal."