Home Sports We can copy Luton’s Premier League journey – Wrexham boss

We can copy Luton’s Premier League journey – Wrexham boss

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We can copy Luton’s Premier League journey – Wrexham boss

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson has said the club can take inspiration from Luton Town in their bid to reach the Premier League in five years.

Wrexham will return to the Football League for the first time in 15 years next season after winning promotion from the National League.

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Preparing for their campaign in League Two — the fourth tier of English football — with a tour of the United States, co-owner Rob McElhenney tweeted after a friendly against Chelsea in North Carolina that he hoped Wrexham would be playing the Premier League giants again “in five years or so.”

Luton won promotion to the Premier League last season after playing non-league football as recently as the 2013-14 season and Parkinson believes his team can follow their rapid ascent up the divisions.

“When you look at teams like Luton, who have gone up, you have to say ‘why not?'” Parkinson told a news conference on Monday.

“Luton were in this position, so I don’t think it’s a case of us getting carried away with it ourselves.

“If you understand that you need to build a club properly and put the foundations in place, like Luton Town have done, then why can’t Wrexham emulate them one day?

“Years ago Bournemouth, under Eddie Howe, were on the brink of going out of business, and got into the Premier League.

“Blackpool have also got into the Premier League, so there’s lots of examples. So why not Wrexham? But at the moment we’re concentrating on the start of this season.”

After playing Chelsea in front of 50,000 fans in North Carolina, Wrexham will next face a youthful Manchester United side in San Diego on Tuesday.

The Disney+ documentary “Welcome to Wrexham” which has told the story of McElhenney and Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds owning the club has opened the door for glamour games and made players and staff celebrities.

Parkinson, though, rejected a suggestion that the exposure has caused any envy from other clubs but admitted everyone now wants to beat them.

“All the people I’ve spoken to at away grounds, opposition players, they’ve all enjoyed the story,” added Parkinson.

“They want to beat us, but when we have a drink afterwards people say ‘I loved watching the show’ and opposition fans say the same, so I haven’t really picked up any anti-Wrexham feeling, because genuine football people love the story. Teams go the extra yard to beat us, but I haven’t detected any jealousy.”