Why a ‘quality’ player may now regret joining Wrexham – he only played 147 minutes under Phil Parkinson

Wrexham made some excellent signings in the 2024 summer transfer window, but one player has really struggled to cement himself as a regular under Phil Parkinson.

The Red Dragons have not been shy about spending money ahead of their first season in the third division in more than 20 years.

Wrexham have broken their transfer record by signing Ollie Rathbone from Rotherham United.

The midfielder has taken time to get up to speed, but Rathbone has been praised by Phil Parkinson after some truly top performances in recent weeks.

After signing the former Rotherham captain, the club decided to break their transfer record for the second time in the space of a week, paying West Bromwich Albion £590,000 for Modou Faal.

Faal was criticized by Wrexham fans after a poor performance against Crewe Alexandra earlier this week.

But the striker is probably still a lot happier than any of the Red Dragons’ other summer additions.

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Why Josh Adam might regret joining Wrexham

The player in question is Josh Adam, who joined the Red Dragons as a free agent in September 2024 after being released by Premier League powerhouse Manchester City earlier in the year.

After joining the club, the midfielder said, according to BBC Sport: “It’s really exciting to cross the finish line. I can’t wait to get started and get started.

However, it’s fair to say that the 20-year-old’s time in Wales probably didn’t go as he had hoped and he might even regret the decision at this stage.

Despite arriving in September, the Scot was only handed his Wrexham debut by Phil Parkinson on November 12 in an EFL Trophy clash with Port Vale.

In total, he has only managed 147 minutes of action since his move to Wrexham and has not even made the Championship matchday squad this season.

Adam is at a crucial stage in his career where he needs to start acting regularly to develop, but it seems unlikely that he will get what he needs from the Hollywood club.

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What Phil Parkinson said about Wrexham midfielder Josh Adam

After making his debut against Port Vale, Parkinson praised Adam for the “real quality” he showed in the clash.

He said: “In Josh Adam’s first game for us he showed some real quality, I thought sometimes.

“It’s a great old ground to make your debut on and I thought it was excellent.”

Although the Wrexham boss was happy with the summer addition on this occasion, it is difficult to see how he will get any significant minutes this season.

Ollie Rathbone, George Dobson, Andy Cannon, Matty James and Elliot Lee are all clearly ahead of him in the midfield pecking order, while George Evans and James Jones will also do so as they attempt to break into the team at their return from their respective injuries.