Stockport County missed an opportunity to tie current Wrexham star down: View | OneFootball

As Stockport County and Wrexham fight it out at the top of a division once again, the Hatters may regret having to see a successful former loan star turn out for the Welsh side.

Andy Cannon made the temporary switch to Edgeley Park in March 2022 from Championship side Hull City, before returning to the Tigers that same summer.

The following season, the midfielder still found opportunities hard to come by at the MKM Stadium and sought out a permanent deal, this time to former National League side Wrexham.

He has become a mainstay at the STōK Cae Ras as they have moved into the Football League. The way the move has panned out at a team often found in direct contention may be a source of some annoyance in Stockport.

The final run-in at the end of the 2021-22 National League season was a tense affair and will be remembered for very different reasons in both Stockport and Wrexham.

In the end, County took the title and the single automatic promotion spot at the summit of the non-league pyramid with a six-point margin over Wrexham, a figure which doesn't paint the true picture of how tightly contested those final gameweeks were between the two sides.

The Hatters wanted to add some midfield depth to their ranks for the final promotion charge and Cannon, who had made 10 Championship appearances that season, looked like a good bet.

He was well utilised in those final games, putting in some inspired performances, and was handed a start in County's now historic title-clincher at Edgeley Park against Halifax Town.

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His nine appearances for the Hatters represent a very brief spell in SK3, but the 28-year-old is remembered fondly around the club for just how crucial his contributions were.

No matter what he has gone and done, or will do, for Wrexham, he will now be forever etched in County's history.

A permanent deal for Andy Cannon may have been there to be done for Stockport County

There was no doubting the talent of Cannon, and he had made a very good impression in his time at Edgeley Park, so it may have left some Hatters fans wondering why the club were not back in for him when he realised a move away from the Championship was the next best step for his career.

Cannon had made a good connection with the fans, played some quality football and was even local to the club, having been born in nearby Ashton.

Making for an even neater narrative, the midfielder also spent substantial time in the County youth setup at the beginning of his career, only ending his seven-year stint in the academy when it was closed down due to the club entering administration.

A local, homegrown quality midfielder, who helped propel the side to the Football League for the first time in over a decade, has all the makings of a club hero. Despite that, it was Wrexham who won his signature when he became available in the winter of the 2022/23 season.

He was signed in December, outside the transfer window for County at the time, but Wrexham were not constrained by the same restrictions as a National League side. Perhaps the immediacy of the deal on offer is what gave the Red Dragons the advantage, but if there was an opportunity to return to County, Cannon surely would have listened.

Andy Cannon's move to Wrexham has been a success nevertheless

Whatever the reason, it's difficult to view Cannon's Wrexham move as anything other than a success for the player.

He went on to almost recreate his Stockport adventure, becoming a vital part of the midfield unit during Wrexham's final run-in to their eventual National League victory, collecting his second winning medal in as many seasons.

This time around, he has made the jump up to League Two with the promotion-winning side and has kicked on further. He's adjusted to the level well and has already topped 50 appearances for Phil Parkinson's side.

With Stockport and Wrexham seemingly locked in a perpetual battle as both clubs rise through the leagues under ambitious owners, missing out on Cannon is a move that Hatters fans are regularly reminded of, and that shows no signs of changing on viewing the two clubs' recent League Two exploits.

It may be looked back on as a missed opportunity for County by some, but Cannon will always have an important place in the Edgeley Park story.