Will Boyle: Meet Wrexham's first summer signing who has a business degree and is friends with Ben Tozer

Boyle was a late arrival into the professional academy system, only joining Huddersfield at Under-15 level. Prior to that, he had been turning out for hometown side Garforth Villa.

Boyle made a strong start to life as a Terrier, featuring consistently for the Under-18 side during the 2012-13 season and progressing into the Under-21s shortly after. He even attended a Scotland Under-18 training camp in the second half of 2012.

All of this seemed to point to Boyle having a decent chance of progressing into the senior side, and the next step was getting some first-team experience out on loan. Between 2015 and 2017, Boyle bounced around a host of different clubs without ever really settling down and kicking on.

His final spell was with Scottish side Kilmarnock, with his stint being cut short in January 2017 so he could return to England and complete a permanent move away from Huddersfield.

Cheltenham were the team tempted to take a chance on Boyle - and it turned out to be a stroke of genius. Arriving on a year-and-a-half contract, he helped his new side secure League Two survival in his first half season and remained a key figure as the Robins incrementally improved their league position over the following two campaigns.

Often starting alongside Boyle during this period was current Wrexham skipper Ben Tozer, with the pair forming a strong relationship on and off the field.

The 2019-20 season under Michael Duff was a mixed one for Boyle personally. A calf injury kept him sidelined for several months at the beginning of the season. When he returned, the Robins were well in the promotion hunt and Boyle had to be patient as he looked to force his way back into the team.

"I had a good team around me. The physio really helped me to maintain a positive mindset,” he said at the time.

Eventually, he would return to the side, only for the coronavirus pandemic to bring the League Two campaign to a screeching halt. Cheltenham narrowly missed out on automatic promotion via points per game and fell to Northampton in the play-offs.

This was just the motivation Boyle and Co needed. They would secure the League One title the following season, edging out second-placed Cambridge United - led by a certain free-scoring Paul Mullin - by two points.

Injuries kept Boyle sidelined on occasion, but when he was fit, he played. He even chipped in with six goals in just 29 League Two appearances.

Boyle was handed the captain's armband for Cheltenham's first season back in the third tier since 2009. The responsibility on his shoulders was sizeable, especially after long-time defensive partner Tozer was tempted away from the club by Wrexham.

Boyle stood up tall, though, playing a key role as Cheltenham secured a commendable mid-table finish. The Robins were desperate for him to stick around and offered him a new contract at the end of last season.

Instead, he opted to move on and ended up landing on his feet in the form of an emotional move to the club where it all began: Huddersfield. But it wasn't quite a storybook return.

The Terriers were in a relegation battle from the first whistle last season, yet Boyle still struggled to break into the first team. He enjoyed a brief run in the side just before Christmas during a defensive injury crisis, but a nightmarish display against Luton on New Year's Day - when his lack of pace was brutally exposed - saw him slip further down the rotation.

He was afforded a rare return to fray in February, but getting sent off for two bookable offences against Stoke City extinguished his first-team prospects.

The Terriers did eventually secure Championship survival, but Boyle could only enjoy this as an onlooker, not appearing in any of his side's final 15 games under incoming manager Neil Warnock.

Wrexham have likely signed Boyle to feature on the left of Parkinson's favoured back three. Jordan Tunnicliffe slotted in there most frequently last season, but Boyle is a better player. They could also be some shuffling around of the backline, depending on injuries and form.

Boyle is your typical, old-fashioned centre-back. Dominant in the air and a serious physical presence, his technical shortcomings were sometimes exposed in the second tier, but he should have no issues thriving in League Two.

Boyle's arrival also fits with Parkinson's public explanation of the club's recruitment strategy. In short, Wrexham wanted quality over quantity this summer following a string of busy transfer windows.

Boyle, a League Two promotion winner with his best days ahead of him, represents the sort of signing that is worth waiting for, and the Dragons have been rewarded for their patience.

Boyle could not contain his excitement when his move to Wrexham was confirmed last week, saying: "I’m delighted the deal’s over the line, and looking forward to getting started.

"It’s a good time to join – I can’t say anything that people don’t already know about what’s happening at this Football Club – but it’s also a perfect time for me to join, I feel, and a perfect opportunity for me.

“It’s exciting to be a part of. As soon as I knew there would be an opportunity to join, it excited me. It’s a club that is only going in one direction."

His new manager, Parkinson, was similarly enthused: "Will is a strong addition to the squad; he’s had success in this division before and then played in League One and had a taste of the Championship last season too. I feel his character will fit in perfectly with the group, and it’s pleasing to get a signing through the door prior to departing for [pre-season in] America."

Even the club he left had nothing but kind words to say about Boyle, with Warnock dubbing him a "fantastic boy".

"Will is a fantastic boy and an Academy graduate, and has been fantastic around the building since my return to the club. Wanting to increase his playing time, Boyley has a fantastic opportunity with Wrexham and I wish him all the best with his new side."

Footballers are often accused of frittering their leisure time away on trivial pursuits, particularly when they're young. Boyle, however, made the most of his days off as a young player.

In an interview published in the Huddersfield matchday programme last year, he revealed that he had completed an Open University degree in Business Management - with a particular focus on sport.

"I’m not someone that can go home and sit around, I need to be engaged, otherwise I feel like I’m wasting time," he said.

"To start with, it was my fiancé’s mum who gave me a bit of a nudge and pointed out that I could do something productive with my spare time, and I completely agreed. When I left Town on loan to Kilmarnock I started an Open University degree and now six years later by the time I’ve come back I’ve graduated. It’s quite a nice feeling really to have that boxed off and it’s definitely something that’s helped with my football, giving me a different perspective on life."

Despite only being 27, Boyle has also already started planning for life beyond his playing career too.

"When you’re a young footballer, a lot of the time football can be the be all and end all and in my opinion that can be detrimental to performance, so that’s something I’ll definitely look to carry on. I’ve done my B Licence in coaching, and I’ll look to do my A Licence in the next couple of years and take it from there in terms of my own personal development," he said.

Boyle was heavily involved in Huddersfield's community projects last season too, something the club itself noted when announcing his departure. This kind of engagement in the local area is likely to have impressed Parkinson, Reynolds and McElhenney. It's something that sits right at the heart of the Wrexham project.

Now that Wrexham have finally broken their transfer duck this summer, could the Dragons dip into the market again soon? It's a difficult question to answer.

Parkinson has said that the club will make signings if he feels they will improve the group, but with the season fast approaching and the squad having jetted off to the United States for their pre-season tour, getting any business done could be challenging.

Missing out on apparent targets Alfie May, Max Power and Nick Powell will have frustrated Wrexham. They are used to getting their own way in the transfer market after all.

As a result, Parkinson may opt to steer clear of any further signings to avoid unsettling his preparations for the forthcoming season. This needn't be cause for concern, considering how well-equipped they are for a promotion charge already - especially now with a top-class defender in Boyle on their books.