Wrexham AFC continues to keep its head up and fight for their place in the EFL League One. Currently occupying third place in the table with a tally of 42 and a three-point deficit to be the leader of the table, the Red Dragons continue to stand their ground. Luckily, one has to thank the grit and determination of players like Matty James, who isn’t keen to ‘stop.’

Well, we can expect the veteran midfielder to be buzzing with optimism right now; after all, Ryan Reynolds and Co. awarded the 33-year-old an 18-month contract extension. What started as a short-term loan deal in October as a free agent after he left Bristol City in the summer, James will be extending his stay at STōK Racecourse until the end of the 2025-26 season.

“I’m over the moon to sign for a longer time now,” began the former Manchester United academy product as per The Leader. “That was always my motivation, it was always my aim. It gives me some security, I can settle down and just enjoy playing football for his great club. Having a few months away from the game, it kind of put football into perspective and how much I wanted to play.”

Don’t judge James solely by his seven League One appearances and one assist for Phil Parkinson’s side so far. If the former Preston star is fortunate enough to secure an extended stay at the Welsh club, there’s every reason to believe he plays a crucial role for the Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney-backed team. In fact, that’s exactly what James is keen to do until the time his new contract doesn’t expire.

“Football changes quickly and if someone was willing to give me the opportunity, I had no doubt that I was going to be able to prove whoever did that right, and I’ve done that, but I don’t want to stop there. I want to keep proving people wrong and prove the people at Wrexham right, so hopefully I can do that,” emphasized Matty.

Clearly, James looks motivated to prove his naysayers wrong and fight hard for his place in the team. In fact, the former Leicester City star is keen to repay the faith that both the club and the manager have shown in him!

Matty James vows to ‘payback’ Wrexham after latest contract award

Further expressing his delight over getting a new contract, the former Coventry and Barnsley man outlined the fresh goals he has to achieve with Wrexham. “I feel really good. I’m excited and I’m enjoying my football. It’s a great club and there’s a lot of really good people here. The loyalty they’ve shown, I want to try and pay that back as much as I possibly can inside the four lines in games.”

Hopefully, James will be able to get more involved in the Red Dragons’ promotion-winning momentum and help them secure its third-consecutive ascent to the Championship. Then again, there’s still a long way until the season ends and Wrexham will be presented with a lot of challenges. Part of their success will depend on avoiding unnecessary slip-ups and winning matches they should.

That way, they can retain their spot at least in the promotion bracket. Simultaneously, let’s see how the input of players like Matty James can help Ryan Reynolds and Phil Parkinson in the long run.