Coady: Wrexham will look to “surprise” in the Championship

Conor Coady: Wrexham Seeks to Surprise in the Championship

Footballer Conor Coady has stated that Wrexham aims to “disrupt” Championship teams upon their return to the second division. Wrexham marked their return to the category after a 43-year absence in Southampton on Saturday, where two late goals from Southampton condemned them to a painful 2-1 defeat. Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney were not present on the south coast to witness Wrexham’s defeat, perhaps anticipating West Brom’s visit to the SToK Racecourse on Saturday for their first taste of Championship action. There has been excessive external noise surrounding Wrexham due to its famous owners and three consecutive promotions that took them from the National League to the Championship in record time, but summer signing Coady insists that Phil Parkinson’s team can handle the intense spotlight.

We’re going to deal with that. We know how we’re going to play and we’re here to annoy and disrupt some teams in this division.

Conor Coady

Coady, the 32-year-old England international, accustomed to Premier League football in the past, added: “We will keep trying to do it. We have shown that we can play. We will keep building, we will keep improving. We have to improve, we have to be better. That is the most important thing.”

Coady, one of the seven players who debuted with Wrexham in Southampton after the strong summer investment by Reynolds and McElhenney, admits to being surprised by the great interest in the Welsh club. The 32-year-old player watched the friendly against Groningen in the Netherlands last week, where “the people supporting Wrexham were incredible” and Ollie Palmer, a star of the documentary series ‘Welcome to Wrexham’, “was harassed”. Coady said: “It’s incredible to see where this club has come. I have a lot of respect for what this club has done from the National League to get to this point. But we are at a point now where we don’t just enjoy being here. We want to improve and mix it with teams like this [Southampton]. Maybe get higher, but for that we have to make sure we are dominant at this level and get to that level as quickly as possible.”

• Wrexham was surprised by Southampton at the last moment.
• Parkinson regrets the decision that “changed the game.”
• For Wrexham to reach the Premier League, they must survive in the Championship.

Wrexham plays against Championship side Hull at home in the first round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.