
Wrexham headed Down Under to prepare for Championship season
Matches against Melbourne Victory, Sydney FC and Wellington Phoenix have helped Wrexham for their first season in the second tier in over four decades.
Boss Parkinson told the club's YouTube channel: "The tour's been amazing, it really has. The experience we've had, I don't think anyone who's on the tour will ever forget.
"Obviously, Melbourne was, you know, a great experience for us. The first few days, obviously, everyone's recovering from the jet-lag!
"But training was good there, despite that. The game was decent.
"Obviously, we had a bit of free time and then, obviously, Sydney, you know, really blew everybody away being in the city and, again, the welcome we had there, like Melbourne, was extraordinary.
"Over to New Zealand and we've come to this facility, which is used by the All Blacks, and what an honour that is to be using the same pitches and the gym as (such) a prestigious team as the All Blacks.
"The pitches are really quality. The gym facilities and everything, and these surroundings, has been outstanding for us. The sun's been shining as well, which we didn't expect here at Wellington. So, yeah, that part of it has been great."
Wrexham opened their tour with a comfortable 3-0 triumph over Melbourne Victory, confirmed by goals from Tom O'Connor, Ryan Hardie and George Evans.
Despite taking the lead via an own goal, the Reds lost out 2-1 to Sydney and it was Wellington who prevailed 1-0 in the final friendly of the tour.
These matches will work towards getting Wrexham ready for their Championship season, which begins with the trip to Southampton, relegated from the Premier League, on Saturday, August 9.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Reuters
20 minutes ago
- Reuters
Amorim is the right man for Man Utd, says Ugarte
July 29 (Reuters) - Finishing 15th in the Premier League was nowhere near good enough for Manchester United last season but the players still have faith in manager Ruben Amorim, midfielder Manuel Ugarte said. Amorim took charge of United in November last year but guided them to just seven wins in 27 league matches and their worst-ever finish in the Premier League. They also failed to qualify for the Champions League as they lost the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. "We have to improve things," Ugarte told British media. "We are all very motivated, because we believe in the coach, we believe in what he wants and that is very important," added the Uruguayan, who also played under Amorim at Sporting. "Last year we made some changes, we changed our coach, we changed our formation. "You have to have responsibilities when you play for United. Sometimes the connections take time to get to know each other. I already know the league, the rivals, which is important." United will play two pre-season matches in the U.S., taking on Bournemouth in Chicago on Wednesday and facing Everton in Atlanta on Sunday, before returning home to face Fiorentina at Old Trafford on August 9. They begin the new Premier League season against Arsenal on August 17.


Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool transfer news: Alexander Isak agrees move as major clue dropped
Liverpool have enjoyed a sensational window this summer but their work is not nearly finished as the Reds continue to pursue a sensational move for Newcastle striker Alexander Isak Given the money they've spent so far, most would think that Liverpool boss Arne Slot would be happy with his squad. But you'd be sorely mistaken. Despite the arrivals of Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, the Reds still want to add some more new faces. And the one they really want is Alexander Isak. The Swedish striker has already requested a move away from St James' Park, with Liverpool thought to be at the front of the queue for his services. But it's going to take some serious negotiations to get a deal done. Newcastle are expected to demand around £150m for his signature but Liverpool chiefs are hopeful of negotiating that down. Elsewhere, departures are also on the agenda for the reigning Premier League champions. Luis Diaz is on the verge of a move to Bayern Munich, with other stars also potentially set to follow him through the exit door. Take a look at all of the Liverpool transfer news and rumours below: Isak agrees Liverpool deal While there is still work to be done to agree a deal with Newcastle for Isak, it appears that the striker himself has given the go-ahead to a switch. After dropping his bombshell request to leave Newcastle, he has now agreed terms with Liverpool. According to Sky Sport Switzerland, Isak has green-lit a contract with the Reds that matches his personal wage demands. The contract is expected to be valid for five years. Liverpool will now have to open talks with Newcastle to get a deal done. It is further reported that a meeting is expected to be held between the two sides over the next 48 hours. Bayern drop major clue German giants Bayern Munich have dropped a major clue that they are ready to sign Luis Diaz from Liverpool. The Bundesliga side have already thrashed out terms with the Reds that will see the Colombian move for a fee of around £65m. And they are now making space in their squad ahead of his arrival. According to Sky in Germany, fellow winger Bryan Zaragoza is set to depart the Allianz Arena. He will move to La Liga side Celta Vigo on loan with an obligation clause written into the deal. His exit comes just 18 months after his arrival from fellow Spanish side Granada. Liverpool set to sell three Following Diaz, a further three sales are on the agenda for Liverpool as they attempt to generate funds for Isak. According to ESPN, striker Darwin Nunez is expected to follow Diaz out of the exit door. Midfielder Harvey Elliott and winger Federico Chiesa are also potentially set to depart. And should those three deals be done, that would fetch Liverpool around £100m. Nunez has been linked with moves to Napoli and Saudi Arabia, while Chiesa is a candidate for a switch back to Italy. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.


Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Man Utd transfer news: Benjamin Sesko makes decision as target speaks out on move
Manchester United have turned their attention to signing a centre-forward and goalkeeper in the summer transfer window as the Premier League season fast approaches Manchester United still have a lot of work to do in the summer transfer window after signing Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. United endured a miserable 2024/25 season and know they need major reinforcements if they are to turn things around. Cunha, a £62.5million addition from Wolves, and Mbeumo, who cost a potential £71m from Brentford, are big signings, but it has been slow going on other fronts. The most important is at centre-forward, where United missed out on Liam Delap to Chelsea, Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool and Viktor Gyokeres to Arsenal. They cannot afford another miss and have identified some new targets, including Benjamin Sesko. Meanwhile, as the pre-season tour of the United States continues, there are plans in the works to improve in the goalkeeping department. Here is the latest from Mirror Football. Sesko 'prefers United' United know how difficult it can be to sign a striker, having missed out on at least three occasions already this summer to rivals. Well, another similar situation could be brewing with RB Leipzig striker Sesko and Newcastle. The Magpies lost out on Ekitike to Liverpool and need to replace Callum Wilson, even if Alexander Isak stays put. They are moving for Sesko and it appears to be a straight shoot-out with United, who are also interested. Local newspaper Leipziger Volkszeitung says Sesko's agent is in talks with both Newcastle and United and it could come down to the choice of the Slovenian. In that case, Sesko would 'undoubtedly' pick Ruben Amorim's side, despite the fact they can't offer any European football and Newcastle are in the Champions League. Lammens keen on transfer Royal Antwerp goalkeeper Senne Lammens is keen on a move to Manchester United. Lammens is one of the players United are considering after a difficult campaign for Andre Onana, while Altay Bayindir didn't convince when he got a chance either. Ambitious moves for Aston Villa's Emi Martinez and Paris Saint-Germain's Gianluigi Donnarumma have gone nowhere, but Lammens is available for €15-20million (£13-17m). 'Manchester United are one of the best clubs, yes," he told reporters after sporting director Marc Overmars signed Taishi Brandon Nozawa to replace him. "But you never know. It could also be a different club, or who knows, I might stay here, in any case, I try to keep my feet on the ground. When teams like that come along, I think you've earned it.' He added: 'I certainly have enough confidence in myself. I think the most important thing is that my future team, whenever they arrive, has a plan in place. Ideally, that means playing immediately, but it's also possible I'll have to take a step in between. As long as there's a plan, it doesn't matter whether I'm ready for the next step or not. Everyone has their own career, their own path. Even if I don't take the right step right away, I'll get there.' Antony to Al-Nassr Al-Nassr appear to be coming to Manchester United's rescue with a move for Antony. The Brazilian is one of the outcasts Amorim is desperate to sell, but a move back to Real Betis, following a successful loan spell, never materialised due to financial problems. Now the Saudi Arabian side have made their interest known. Fresh off the back of agreeing a deal for one Premier League flop, in the form of Chelsea's Joao Felix, Al-Nassr also want to do the charity of signing Antony to join Sadio Mane and Cristiano Ronaldo up front. Antony would consider such a move, according to his agent, so it looks like a goer. Having already got rid of Marcus Rashford to Barcelona, this would leave Jadon Sancho, Tyrell Malacia and Alejandro Garnacho as the final unwanted players to offload. Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.