Former Wrexham striker Brett Ormerod believes his old team can get promoted, and then the world is their oyster.
Ormerod made the comments whilst speaking to Stocklytics, and he’s of the opinion that getting out of League Two is just the start. In fact Ormerod, who also appeared for Blackpool and Southampton, believes that their Hollywood owners can have them in the Premier League in five years’ time.
“I’d like to see them in the Championship or Premier League in five years,” said the 47-year-old, now coaching Bamber Bridge. “The owners are ambitious enough to get there. They’ve always had the right fanbase and now they have the might of the Americans.
“Where Wrexham end up depends on where the owners want to take it. I wish them all the best because the fans have been through a lot of pain. I remember being there when the bills weren’t being paid and they were being threatened to be kicked out of the ground.”
At present, the Red Dragons are second in League Two, but with a transfer window coming up, Ormerod expects them to splash the cash
“Wrexham will be able to attract very good players now – if Saudi Arabia don’t get there first,” joked the former striker. “Most importantly, these players have to be able to perform on the pitch. It’s alright signing a big name, but if they’re not going to play much or they’re constantly injured then it’s not very good.
“The budget will increase if Wrexham get promoted to League One and the media hype will continue to increase. The owners seem very ambitious, they seem to have very deep pockets and they’ve installed a bit of Hollywood glitter onto Wrexham.
“There is staff still working at Wrexham from when I was there so it’s nice to see, after everything they’ve been through, that it’s completely flipped.”
Whilst he retains an affinity with the club, Ormerod isn’t getting carried away. He believes the side in its current form would be okay in League One, but the championship could be a step too far.
“Phil Parkinson has a certain style of play. He’s done well at multiple clubs, including Bradford. He’s got a certain pedigree. From what I have seen of Wrexham so far, I think they’ve got a strong team, full of good footballers. Time will tell how far they can go. I think they’re good enough to get promoted this season. They’ll definitely be up near the top.
“League Two is probably the easiest division to get out of compared to the likes of the National League. The squad Phil has at the moment is definitely good enough for League One. Whether the current team is good enough for the Championship, I’m not so sure.”
However, one player in their squad is currently good enough for the second tier in Ormerod’s eyes – and as a striker, he’s in a good position to spot talent. Paul Mullin has 9 goals in 15 matches this season after missing two months with a punctured lung. When asked if Mullin could play higher, this was the response.
“Maybe so, yeah. Everyone has an opinion of you as a player and for me, the question is about which Championship club would come in for him. If Wrexham get promoted this season, they’ll obviously build a squad to make a push for the Championship themselves and if you’re somewhere playing football, you’re on good money, happy and settled – there’s so much to consider.
“When I moved to Southampton, my wife and I had a small child and we’d never moved out of Blackburn. Suddenly, I was sitting in a hotel having just signed a four-year deal. Yes, it was life-changing, but I had a very young son, we’d just moved house and even had boxes unpacked in some rooms. It was a whirlwind.
“Paul Mullin is playing football and he’s happy. I think it’d have to be a top Championship club to get him away from Wrexham.
“If Wrexham get promoted this year, Paul Mullin should be thinking ‘why should I go anywhere else?’. This club is going places, it’s got everything. It’s got great media coverage, he gets to meet Will Ferrell, which I’m jealous of because he’s one of my favourite actors of all time.
“It must be amazing to be in and around Wrexham right now, however, it does come with its own pressures I suppose.”
Ormerod played 74 times in the National League for Wrexham, scoring 12 times. The best of his career came in the Tangerine of Blackpool, where he bagged 63 goals in 150 appearances across all competitions in his first stint and 19 in 94 in his second spell, including Premier League appearances.
He also bagged 13 goals in 80 top-flight appearances for Southampton after joining them for £1.75m in 2001.
Writer’s View
Ormerod is clearly impressed with Wrexham, and why wouldn’t he be? They might not be satisfying the purists with their rise, backed by Hollywood millions, but it’s better that it happens to a ‘proper’ club with a long and rich history than some tin pot non-league outfit that will collapse when their rich benefactor pulls out, a la Rushden and Diamonds.
Paul Mullin is a decent striker, but there’s a big jump from League Two to League One and an even bigger one to the Championship. At 29, it feels like the boat might have sailed for him – his only stint outside the bottom two divisions was with Tranmere in 2019/20, and he struggled for form that season.
However, there is a train of thought that a striker struggling in League One can still do it in the Championship, where the football is very different. Liam Cullen is an example – he couldn’t impress at Lincoln City but finds the second tier much easier to make an impression in.
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