These 5 Wrexham players have just a month to prove they are worth keeping around in January | OneFootball

Highlights

There was much anticipation from the footballing world regarding Wrexham's return to League Two after 15 years away - and they have not disappointed anyone from a number of different viewpoints.

The Red Dragons have been entertaining as they've scored plenty of goals and conceded a lot as well in their first three months back in the EFL, and there has been no shortage of stoppage time drama that would certainly look good on a documentary.

Manager Phil Parkinson wasn't very active in the transfer window during the summer, believing that he already had the makings of a very good squad, but a few drops of experience and quality were added with the likes of James McClean and Steven Fletcher arriving at the Racecourse Ground.

As Wrexham look to move up the divisions though, players will fall by the wayside and with a bloated squad, there could be a clearout in January - let's look at FIVE players who need to prove some kind of worth in the next month in order to stick around.

1 Callum McFadzean

With plenty of EFL experience in his locker, McFadzean joined Wrexham in January 2022 to bolster their National League promotion push.

He quickly adopted the position of left wing-back in Parkinson's starting 11, and even when Jacob Mendy was added last summer he remained the first-choice, but the latter had made his mark by the second half of the campaign.

McFadzean has found more competition in the form of James McClean this season as well and is now third-choice wing-back on the left side, and with a contract that expires in the summer, he'll have to do something magical to remain at the club.

2 Bryce Hosannah

In a similar position to McFadzean, ex-Leeds right-back Hosannah is unfancied as well, although he has at least at least played once briefly in League Two.

In 2021-22, Hosannah played at both wing-back positions in his debut season in North Wales, but the presence of Anthony Forde from 2022 onwards shuffled him down the pecking order.

Ryan Barnett's addition from Solihull Moors only further condemned Hosannah to the sidelines, so he will need a bit of luck to get back in there and to earn himself a new deal - it looks unlikely though considering he cannot play in the league until January.

3 Liam McAlinden

Unlike McFadzean and Hosannah, McAlinden did make the cut, presumably for his versatility, but you also get the feeling that his three years at the club are coming to an end.

The 30-year-old has played in so many positions across the pitch and is a natural striker, but when he has featured since last season he has more often than not been a wing-back.

McAlinden has played five times for Wrexham this season, but unless there is a mountain of injuries then he's unlikely to get game-time - he just needs to keep plugging away in training though and he will have to see what happens.

4 Billy Waters

Another player to not make the 22-man squad was Waters, who was brought in back in March from Barrow to just add a bit more quality in the final third for the end of the promotion push.

Waters played just once though, and that was when promotion was already confirmed, and with three appearances already under his belt in League Two in August, Parkinson decided to leave the 29-year-old out.

Fletcher soon arrived and it made sense as to why a squad space was left empty, but Waters will have to impress in training if he wants to stay - he's under contract until 2025 so it's no free transfer exit for him in the summer.

5 Jake Bickerstaff

Making the cut ahead of Waters in the squad was Bickerstaff, who arrived six years ago as a teenager from Liverpool.

Despite not playing a single National League match last season, Bickerstaff has benefitted from the seven substitutes that managers are allowed to name, and in his five League Two appearances he's scored twice.

The 22-year-old is still fifth-choice striker when everyone is fully-fit though, so unless he can get more minutes before January then a loan departure could be on the cards.