Latest news with #DannyWard
Leader Live
5 days ago
- Sport
- Leader Live
Wrexham AFC: Liberato Cacace signs, Luke Bolton leaves
Liberato Cacace has completed his move to Wrexham from Serie B outfit Empoli for an undisclosed fee. The left-back, who has been capped 33 times for New Zealand, has signed a contract keeping him with the Reds until the end of the 2027-2028 season. He becomes the third new signing ahead of the upcoming Championship campaign, joining goalkeeper Danny Ward and striker Ryan Hardie at Wrexham who will compete in the second tier for the first time in 43 years in 2025-26 after securing an historic third successive promotion. Cacace has spent the last three-and-a-half years with Empoli, relegated from Serie A last season, having joined initially on loan from Belgium side Sint-Truiden in January 2022 before making the move permanent that summer. He began his career with home-town club Wellington Phoenix who beat Wrexham 1-0 at Sky Stadium on Saturday in the final game of the pre-season tour to Australia and New Zealand. There are just under three weeks until the new campaign kicks-off but Luke Boulton won't be on board when Wrexham start off against Southampton - relegated from the Premier League last term - at St Marys Stadium on Saturday August 9 (12.30pm kick-off). Bolton has left the club and signed for League One outfit Mansfield Town on a permanent deal, putting pen to paper on a two-year contract at Field Mill. The wing-back joined the Reds from Salford City in January 2024 and made 17 League Two appearances as Phil Parkinson's men finished runners up to secure promotion to League One. However, the 25-year-old only made three appearances in cup competitions last seasons. More new signings are expected in the coming weeks with Wrexham linked with a host of players, including Bolton Wanderers captain George Thomason, and free agents Josh Windass and Michael Smith. Forwards Windass and Smith have left Sheffield Wednesday after the troubled Championship club said their contracts had been ended "by mutual consent".
New York Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Wrexham Down Under: A tour that whets the appetite and underlines next season's spike in difficulty
For any Wrexham fans hoping for a few pointers to the future, the tour Down Under did not disappoint. Not necessarily in a football sense, with a combination of only Ryan Hardie and Danny Ward arriving as new signings prior to the squad jetting out to Australia and fitness being the priority at this stage of pre-season, meaning that the three games told us very little we didn't already know. Advertisement Off the field, however, was a different story, with two of the three stadia playing host to Wrexham having been designed by Populous, the firm behind both the new Kop and the overall master plan that will see The Racecourse's capacity eventually rise to around 28,000. Kicking off the tour at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium and then finishing eight days later at Sky Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand, gave the small band of loyal fans who made the trip from Wales, plus the players and staff, a taste of what to possibly expect when the oldest international venue still in use finally gets upgraded for the 21st century. Both may have been built in an oval shape to house top-flight Australian rules football in the AFL, making the pitch for Wrexham's visit a long way from the stands. But the facilities are excellent, including seating with plenty of legroom and good access throughout, despite the two venues now being a little over 25 years old. Plenty to look forward to then as the clock ticks down towards June 2026, and the promised opening of the new 5,500 capacity Kop for the next UEFA Under-19s Championship. As for the football, a tour that ended on Saturday with a 1-0 defeat to Wellington Phoenix merely confirmed what we all knew back in April after that third consecutive promotion had been clinched. Namely, if Wrexham are to survive in the Championship, then their squad needs a serious upgrade. Phil Parkinson and his staff are as aware of this as anyone. It's why their club record transfer fee was broken late on Friday as Empoli left wing-back Liberato Cacace signed in what represents a significant widening of the recruitment net beyond the shores of Britain and Ireland. Further deals are planned before the season's opener at Southampton on August 9, with Bolton Wanderers captain George Thomason very much on the radar along with Josh Windass, the former Rangers forward who recently had his contract at Sheffield Wednesday cancelled by mutual consent amid the financial chaos engulfing the Yorkshire club. Advertisement Lewis O'Brien, the Nottingham Forest midfielder, is also one of several long-standing targets as Parkinson looks to equip his side for one of football's more challenging step-ups in quality. As ever, at this time of year, patience is likely to be key, particularly when it comes to the Premier League loan market that Parksinon has previously pledged to tap into. Most top-flight managers prefer to take their promising youngsters on tour before then assessing any loan options, meaning deals often get done only after the EFL season has got under way. The bottom line is that the 25-man squad demanded under Championship rules after the transfer window has closed on September 1 should look very different to the travelling party heading home from New Zealand this weekend. This makes any assessment of the tour difficult. As, to be fair, does the timing, with this year's trip having come earlier in pre-season than the 2024 jaunt to the U.S. and Canada. Back then, Wrexham faced Bournemouth on July 20, Chelsea four days later and then Vancouver Whitecaps on the final weekend of July. This meant the players were further along in their preparations for a campaign that began on August 10. It also helped that five new faces had arrived before heading across the Atlantic, as opposed to just two this time around when taking on a trio of A-League clubs. Nevertheless, there were a few things to glean from Australia and New Zealand — chief among these was how Parkinson largely persevered with the 3-5-1-1 formation that proved so effective during last season's run-in. He did, though, mix things up slightly against a youthful Wellington side by playing two deep-lying midfielders, with Harry Ashfield and Elliot Lee pushed further forward behind Ollie Palmer. Lee, in particular, was unfortunate not to equalise early in the second half. Advertisement Hardie looks a promising addition, bagging his first goal since joining from Plymouth Argyle for £700,000 via a predatory near-post finish in the 3-0 win over Melbourne Victory. Ryan Barnett provided the cross for Hardie's goal but, really, it was Ryan Longman's deliveries from the flank that stood out on the tour. The January signing from Hull City arrived with plenty of Championship experience and already he's shaping up to be a key man at a level Wrexham last played in 1982. As was clear Down Under, both wing-backs will again be pivotal to how Wrexham play. Parkinson demands plenty, including how one wing-back shaping up to cross must be the cue for the other on the opposite flank to make a quick dart into the penalty box. The ploy worked well last season, particularly when James McClean and Barnett were in tandem. There were glimpses again here, including when McClean really should have done better with a free header from a Barnett cross in the 2-1 defeat to Sydney FC. Cacace's arrival adds an intriguing extra aspect to this mix. Much will depend on how quickly the pacey Kiwi international takes to get up to speed with what his new manager wants from the role. Twelve months ago, several new signings who went on to become key figures in the promotion push, including player of the year Ollie Rathbone, had to wait for their chance. Maybe Cacace will have to be similarly patient. As for his new team-mates, amid the inevitable rustiness of early pre-season that perhaps explains the mistake by Arthur Okonkwo that gifted Wellington their winner, perhaps the best that can be said is that the tour fulfilled the need to get matchday minutes into the legs. This is always the prime target in the early weeks of pre-season, as captain McClean made clear in a diary entry for The Athletic from Australia. Most of the club's senior contingent played 45 minutes in the 3-0 victory over Melbourne Victory, followed by a further hour and then 30 minutes spread across the defeats in Sydney and Wellington. Sam Smith was the notable exception with a calf problem that meant, as had been anticipated before leaving the UK, he sat out all three fixtures. Hardie also missed the Sydney defeat after picking up a knock, while Jay Rodriguez managed just half an hour's playing time due to a niggling foot problem. Advertisement The big loss was Rathbone, who flew home in a protective boot after injuring his ankle against Sydney. He will be assessed further in a week or so but Parkinson has already admitted things don't look 'too good' for the midfielder. Losing the 28-year-old for an extended period of the upcoming campaign would be a big blow. Jack Marriott, meanwhile, stayed behind as his team-mates flew home after having his appendix removed but should be cleared to resume training once home. Even allowing for the timing of the tour and inevitable rustiness, there's no escaping how disappointing two defeats and a victory are as a return against opposition from a competition regarded by many familiar with both the EFL and the A-League as being on a par with League One. Equally, though, results count for little at this stage, not least because those planned incomings mean the squad make-up is likely to be very different once the 'real' action gets under way next month. Where the true lasting effect of Wrexham's maiden tour Down Under is likely to be found is off the field. A 25,399 crowd in Wellington took the combined total of fans who turned out to watch the Welsh club across the three games through the 100,000 mark. Throw in all the additional commercial benefits, including how every item of merchandise shipped to Australia before the tour was snapped up by eager fans, and the club has done well out of the tour. Now, though, Wrexham need to get just as busy as those souvenir vendors when it comes to strengthening the squad sufficiently to still be a Championship team come the much-anticipated opening of the new Kop in a year's time.
Leader Live
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Leader Live
Phil Parkinson joy at Wrexham support on pre-season tour
The Reds, on the back of securing an historic third successive promotion, are preparing for the new Championship campaign, which kicks-off at Southampton at St Marys Stadium on Saturday August 9, by touring Australia and New Zealand for the first time. Wrexham kicked off the trip with a 3-0 win over Melbourne Victory before suffering a 2-1 defeat to Sydney FA on Tuesday, with more than 40,000 fans present at The Allianz Stadium. The final friendly takes place tomorrow morning against Wellington Phoenix (6.30am kick-off) - another A-League side - at Sky Stadium and Parkinson touched on the brilliant backing that the players and staff have received both at matches and around the cities. Speaking on the club's YouTube channel, the Reds' boss said: "The support (against Sydney), 40,000 people in this fantastic stadium was incredible. "We would liked to have put on a better display for the people who had come to watch the game but it wasn't a lack of effort. "It was just probably not quite at the levels we needed to be and maybe a bit disjointed, certainly in that second period when we made all those changes. "But the welcome we've had around Melbourne and Sydney has been amazing and we've enjoyed the experience of being in two great cities. "We've had a great welcome everywhere we've been, right from the minute we landed. Everybody has been delighted to see us." Goalkeeper Danny Ward, a product of the academy at The Racecourse who has returned to his hometown club after leaving Leicester City, echoed his manager's sentiments. 'We've been really well-welcomed everywhere we've been, whether that be in and around the city, at training sessions or coming to games," said Ward. "To draw that amount of people to come and watch the game is top, it's so good. It helps the boys as well. "I just find it surreal. To come away with Wrexham and have the draw that we have nowadays, I think it's incredible."
BBC News
05-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Goalkeeper Burton signs Wrexham extension
Goalkeeper Callum Burton has signed a two-year contract extension to remain at Wrexham until the 2026-27 campaign 28-year-old made four League One appearances during Wrexham's rise to the 2024-25 campaign was curtailed by a thigh injury and he hopes to make a bigger impression when the new season gets underway."I loved my year here last year even though it got cut short by injury," he said"Wrexham is a club on the rise, and I want to be able to play my part in that."Burton started last season as understudy to first-choice Arthur Okonkwo, who broke a wrist in November 2024 giving Burton an Burton himself suffered injury the following month and he did not figure for the remainder of Wrexham's promotion winning veteran Mark Howard released at the end of last season, Wrexham have re-signed Wales goalkeeper Danny Ward on a two-year deal in the build-up to their return to the the meantime Luke McNicholas has joined new Forest Green Rovers, one of new manager Robbie Savage's first recruits for the National League club.
Powys County Times
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Wales goalkeeper Danny Ward joins hometown club Wrexham
Former Liverpool and Leicester goalkeeper Danny Ward has completed an emotional return to his hometown club Wrexham. The 32-year-old, who was born in the Welsh city and came through the club's academy between 2007 and 2012, has joined on a free transfer after agreeing a two-year deal. Ward was a free agent following the expiry of his contract at Leicester and joins the club owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney following their promotion to the Championship. Wrexham in his veins and ice in his cold brew. Welcome back to the STōK Cae Ras, Danny Ward 🧤 🔴⚪ #WxmAFC — Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) July 1, 2025 He said: 'It's an exciting time and an amazing feeling to be back at the club. 'I'm forever grateful for the opportunity that the club gave me at an early age and I hope I can repay that.' The Wales international, who has won 44 caps, joined Wrexham a a 14-year-old but never featured for the first team before being sold to Liverpool in 2012. He subsequently moved to Leicester in 2018, making 52 appearances in seven seasons before leaving this summer. Phil Parkinson's Wrexham are preparing for their first season back in the second tier since 1982 following a meteoric rise under A-list film stars Reynolds and McElhenney. Parkinson added: 'We're delighted to welcome Danny back to Wrexham. He's a keeper with a lot of experience and he's going to be a great addition to the squad.'
