Wrexham may be competing in England’s lower divisions, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t achieved global recognition. Back-to-back promotions, moving from the National League to League Two and now to League One under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, were truly beyond imagination. In fact, Red Dragons star Mark Howard believes that the club can ‘overtake‘ other teams to become the best club in Wales.

“Potentially we could overtake them,” said the goalkeeper, as compiled by the Leader. “It would be a huge feat to do so with the history and tradition that Cardiff and Swansea, two of my former clubs, have,” added the goalie, who is also among the biggest clubs in Wales. Howard highlighted that Wrexham has come quite a long way in 15 years as the Hollywood owners-backed club continues to chase its legacy.

The 38-year-old acknowledged that consecutive promotions over the past two seasons have led Phil Parkinson and Co. to draw parallels with Cardiff and Swansea, two competitive sides currently competing in England’s second tier, the EFL Championship. Having enjoyed the opportunity to play for both of these rival Welsh clubs, which also have an incredible fanbase, he is aware of what it would mean for Wrexham to overtake them one day.

“We are still playing catch up with them but speaking as being part of Wrexham, it’s a really exciting journey that we are on,” Mark added. Notably, the veteran goalkeeper recently extended his stay at STōK Cae Ras for another year to help Reynolds and Co. achieve another dream promotion. However, the Southwark-born goalkeeper knows they won’t be handed the chance for a hat-trick of promotions on a silver platter.

A third-consecutive promotion would be ‘hard’ for Wrexham

While Mark Howard remains grounded, the goalkeeper sees no reason why the Reds can’t be competitive and aim for a play-off spot in League One. Sharing his side’s progressive ambitions, the goalie said, “Going back to back to back is going to be very hard. We have to be realistic with our expectations. Of course we will push ourselves with our squad.” The goal is to at least top the upper half of the table.

Howard warned his side that the upcoming 2024–25 season is going to be a ‘competitive division.’ The player knows that even other teams, including Portsmouth, Derby, Stockport, and Mansfield, who got promoted alongside Wrexham, will keep a strong foot in the league. Yet he remains confident that the Red Dragons will compete on equal footing with some of the big teams, desperate for even a single point.

After hearing out Mark Howard, confidence seems to be running through the veins of every Wrexham player. However, we prefer to put our money on time, which will ultimately determine if they are able to keep their promise.