Forward Ollie Palmer believes Wrexham are “definitely getting promoted” and claims that “every Championship player wants to be here.”
Speaking to The Fozcast, the 31-year-old also revealed he wants to secure promotion “in style” by winning back-to-back league titles.
The Red Dragons returned to the Football League after a 15-year absence, shattering National League records for most points (111), most wins (34), and fewest defeats (3) in the process.
Epsom-born Palmer played a crucial role in their title success, netting 16 times, whilst forming a formidable relationship with strike partner Paul Mullin, with the pair racking up a combined 58 goal contributions in 2022/23.
Phil Parkinson’s side are many bookmakers’ favourites for promotion again, which is largely a result of the riches of Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds and fellow actor Rob McElhenney, who completed their takeover of the club in February 2021.
Realising their ambition of reaching League Two reportedly cost the pair £10million, which included the £2million to purchase Wrexham AFC, and a further £3.67million to cover the repurchase of the freehold of the Racecourse Ground.
Wrexham’s first-team squad is littered with players capable of playing much higher up the pyramid, with former Manchester United and England goalkeeper, Ben Foster, coming out of retirement to sign a short-term deal to help secure a return to the EFL, having played 26 times for Watford in the Premier League the season prior.
The 40-year-old shot-stopper has signed a one-year extension, as he bids to win his third trophy with the Welsh team.
Midfielder Elliott Lee made 64 league appearances across League One and the Championship in the two seasons before his move to the world’s third-oldest professional football club, and Paul Mullin’s decision to drop into the fifth tier sent shockwaves through English football, as the League Two Player of the Year and top goal scorer rejected a new contract at League One-bound Cambridge United.
Palmer’s pre-season prediction
Speaking to The Fozcast, a YouTube channel run by teammate Foster, the former Lincoln City, Crawley, and Wimbledon man said: “Wrexham get promoted, and I want to do it in style.
“That means I want to win the league again, back-to-back champions, that’s what I want.
“Promotion? It’s definitely happening, I fully believe that, but to do it as champions would be so special.”
On their credentials to be champions, Wrexham’s number nine added: “Let’s see. In football you need a little bit of luck along the way, so I’m not going to throw it out there just as strongly, but I fully believe we will get promoted.”
Documentary influence
Finances and support have further been boosted by the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary, which has followed the inner workings of the football club since the actors took charge.
Palmer revealed that whilst it took a while to get used to the cameras, it’s now just a part of everyday life.
“For anyone now who walks through the door, they’re a bit like, ‘what’s going on?’ Especially today as I’ve just been acting.
“You’ve got Rob and Ryan down on the pitch that are a part of it, and it’s mad, but again I go back to the character in that dressing room, it hasn’t distracted anyone.
“It has grown and there’s been more and more things going on, as the new sponsorships and the bigger companies come in, but the documentary guys, it sounds a little bit rude, but they’re part of the furniture now, they’re just there all the time and you get used to it really quickly.
“They’re lovely people, they try and stay out of your way, a lot of the lads embrace it, and it makes it a really fun place to be, which ultimately is why everyone wants to come here.
“Why does every League One and Championship player that I know now want to come here? Is it because we’ve just got promoted into League Two? No chance! It’s because of everything.”
Writer’s View
Whilst the claim that every League One and Championship player he knows wants to the join the club is a touch extreme, I share his sentiments about Wrexham’s chances of promotion.
Lincoln City, Tranmere Rovers, and Stockport County have all gone on to reach the play-off spots immediately after promotion from the National League in recent years, and there is absolutely no reason why Phil Parkinson’s side can’t replicate the achievements of Micky Mellon’s Tranmere, who won back-to-back promotions through the play-offs to reach League One.
Can they go one better and secure back-to-back league titles? Only time will tell.
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