New Wrexham manager bags two key signings ahead of 21/22 campaign
15.07.2021
Phil Parkinson strengthened the Wrexham squad with two new players after less than two weeks in charge. Centre-forward Liam McAlinden and centre-back Shaun Brisley add core strength to a Wrexham side desperate for promotion in the 21/22 campaign.
The English centre-back Shaun Brisley, 31, brings seasoned professionalism to an ambitious Wrexham side, after departing League 2’s Port Vale. Heading from the exact league which Wrexham want to end up in next year, Brisley looks to bolster Wrexham’s levels as they fix their eyes towards the top of the table.
The defender clarified that new manager Phil Parkinson had a hand in the signing, stating that ‘once I met the manager, and he explained the really exciting project here, I couldn’t wait to join’. Echoing the current Wrexham agenda, Brisley reiterated that ‘the main objective is, of course, promotion to the Football League’.
Northern Irishman Liam McAlinden, 27, also adds experience and drive to the Wrexham front lines, with an impressive career across the EFL and the National League. Following appearances at Wolves, Shrewsbury, Fleetwood, Crawley, Exeter, Brackley, Kidderminster, Halifax, and most recently Morecambe, McAlinden brings versatility and expertise to an already formidable Wrexham attacking lineup.
McAlinden racked up goals in double figures at Wrexham’s fellow National League side Halifax in recent memory, before earning promotion from League 2 with the Morecambe Shrimpers. The striker, a self-described ‘hard-working forward’, pledged to ‘bring something to excite the fans once they’re back at the racecourse’. With preseason already upon us, the Wrexham fans won’t have long to wait.
As with the Brisley signing, new manager Phil Parkinson made his mark on the McAlinden deal, revealing that Wrexham ‘had to compete with some league clubs to bring Liam here’, adding that the club are ‘delighted to get that over the line’.
As the season approaches, signings aren’t the only thing Wrexham look to get over the line. Following an impressive yet frustrating campaign last year, the club missed out on promotion playoffs by a single point, despite a respectable 68 points and 21 goal difference.
The National League, like any level of elite sport, balances on fine margins. Refreshed with new staff, new management, and a full season under their superstar owners Ryan Reynold and Rob McElhenney, Wrexham look to tip the balance and earn a screen-worthy promotion back to the EFL.
