Coventry’s Championship-winning boss, Frank Lampard, has given his true thoughts on Wrexham’s progress under Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac
Frank Lampard believes Wrexham’s meteoric rise should be celebrated as the Dragons strive to follow his Coventry side into the Premier League.
On Sunday, Wrexham visit the Sky Blues, who have already wrapped up the Championship title to secure a place in the top-flight for the first time in 25 years. Phil Parkinson’s side are looking to follow suit by making it four promotions in a row.
Ahead of Saturday’s games, Wrexham are sixth with their play-off destiny in their own hands. While the Dragons’ progress under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac has captured the attention of fans around the world, others have questioned the hype around the club.
Lampard is firmly in the former camp. Earlier this season, before Wrexham’s thrilling 3-2 win over the Sky Blues, the Chelsea legend spoke of his respect for the Dragons’ progress on and off the pitch.
He said: “It’s a brilliant story that I think we’ve all followed to some degree. I played against Wrexham many, many years ago when I was on loan at Swansea and I think I gave a penalty away.
“To think where that stadium and team was back then to where it is now… It’s obviously got a big following and to see what the owners have done, coming at it from a different angle and coming at it with a lot of passion, everyone’s bought into it.
“I think as a story, it’s fantastic and we should promote those stories of clubs. They’ve come up and they’ve invested and they’ve tried to have a go in the Championship this year. I think it’s a really positive story in general.”
Lampard’s success with Coventry has seen him linked with a return to Chelsea, where he has previously managed on both a permanent and interim basis. The Stamford Bridge revolving door has swung open again following the sacking of Liam Rosenior after just three months in charge.
However, Sky Blues chairman Doug King told the BBC: “Everybody is going to get linked with everything, it’s a merry-go-round. It’s a bit disappointing clubs are appointing three or four managers a season.
“You can see how emotionally connected [Lampard] is with the city, you can see what it meant to him to get promotion and then the title and I think he’s found a happy place at the moment.
“It doesn’t mean there’s not going to be some staggering bid for him in the summer and he’ll have to make his choices, because he’s shown his credentials as a high-quality head coach, but I’m not going to comment on that, I can’t control it.
“I just think he’s happy, I’m happy, everybody’s happy. We’ve just got smiles on our faces and we don’t worry about what may or may not happen for the head coach.”
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