Ranking the 10 best Wrexham football players ever

Ranking the 10 best Wrexham football players ever

The Racecourse Ground has been honoured by a lineage of talent throughout the distinguished history of Wrexham Football Club. These players have left their mark on football history through thrilling moments and stunning victories, making their names associated with the Red Dragons’ unwavering pride.

In more recent times, the likes of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have transformed the Welsh club with League One football now set for next season, with a number of players trying to work their way into the history of the club.

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FFC explores Wrexham’s journey to where they are today after securing back-to-back promotions from the National League and League Two.

With that, here is the list of who we believe are the ten greatest Wrexham footballers, based on their overall impact at either club or international level during their careers…

Rank

Player

Wrexham career

1

Tommy Bamford

1928-1934

2

Gareth Davies

1967-1983

3

Bert Goode

1910-1926

4

Darren Ferguson

1999-2007

5

Phil Hardy

1990-2001

6

Mickey Thomas

1972-1993

7

Arfon Griffiths

1959-1979

8

Aly McGowan

1953-1963

9

Carlos Edwards

2000-2005

10

Paul Mullin

2021-present

Paul Mullin

2021-present

Paul Mullin still has a long way to go if he is to climb even further up this list, but the performances he’s put in over the past couple of years for Wrexham have been nothing short of amazing.

He’s scored 99 goals and laid on 10 assists in his 131 games at Wrexham so far, which has helped the Red Dragons secure promotion from the National League and League Two.

Appearances

131

Goals

99

Assists

10

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Carlos Edwards

2000-2005

Carlos Edwards was a powerful winger whose electric pace and flare lit up the Racecourse Ground.

He played a significant role for the club, featuring in 128 games and contributing 16 goals along with five assists, as well as helping secure Wrexham’s promotion to Division Two in 2002/03.

Appearances

128

Goals

16

Stats

5

Aly McGowan

1953-1963

When McGowan joined Wrexham, he was working in the mines. He provided excellent service to the team as a hard-tackling full defender, amassing 478 appearances in total.

During this time, he won three medals for winning the Welsh Cup, played for the team that advanced to the 1960/61 League Cup’s fifth round, defeating First Division outfit Blackburn Rovers, and lined up in the storied FA Cup match against the Busby Babes, which drew a record-breaking crowd to the Racecourse in 1957.

Even though a leg break interrupted his career too soon, he kept up his excellent work for the club as a coach and groundskeeper.

Date of Birth

22 January 1930

Position

Defender

Appearances

487

Arfon Griffiths

1959-1979

Raised in Hightown, Griffiths set a record with 592 league appearances for Wrexham over his 20 years with the club. In 1978, he led the team to the Third Division title and the Welsh Cup.

He also helped Wales to the quarter-final play-offs of Euro 1976 in front of his hometown fans in Wrexham thanks to a winner against Austria, as well as running rings round England on his Racecourse return in 1980.

Date of Birth

23 August 1941

Appearances

592

Achievements

Third Division title & Welsh Cup

Mickey Thomas

1972-1993

Mickey Thomas, who ended up securing a big-money transfer to Manchester United, assisted Wrexham in 1978 to achieve their first-ever promotion to the Second Division.

He made headlines across the country when he returned to Wrexham for a second stint, setting the stage for an all-time FA Cup upset of Football League champions Arsenal in January 1992 by scoring a sublime free kick to equalise.

He made 331 appearances for the Dragons, scoring 43 goals for the club.

Appearances

331

Goals

43

Achievements

Promotion to Second Division & Knocking Arsenal out of the FA Cup

Phil Hardy

1990-2001

Phil Hardy played 485 matches in a Wrexham shirt, which sees him sit fourth on the all-time list.

In addition to collecting a runners-up medal and a winners’ medal in the Welsh Cup, Wrexham advanced from the Third Division in 1992/93 and made it to four FAW Premier Cup finals, winning three of them.

Position

Left-back

Appearances

485

Achievements

Won Welsh Cup, won promotion to Second Division and three FAW Premier Cup titles

Darren Ferguson

1999-2007

Darren Ferguson was a very reliable figure in the middle of midfield for the Dragons, making 310 appearances, scoring 51 goals, and captaining them to win promotion to Division Two in 2002/03.

He won the FAW Premier Cup with Wrexham in 1999/00, 2000/01, 2002/03, 2003/04, as well as the Football League Trophy in 2004/05.

Appearances

310

Goals

51

Achievements

Four FAW Premier Cup titles, Football League Trophy winner & promotion to Division Two

Bert Goode

1910-1926

Bert Goode was as prolific as they come. He scored a whopping 148 goals in 275 appearances during his time at Wrexham, which puts him second on the all-time goalscoring list for the Red Dragons.

Position

Forward

Appearances

275

Goals

148

Gareth Davies

1967-1983

Gareth Davies is the second-most-capped player for Wrexham with 612 games.

During his 16-year tenure with the team, he won Player of the Season in 1977/78, and was one of the team’s top players in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, while also developing into a North Wales club legend and a devoted fan favourite.

Position

Central defender

Appearances

612

Achievements

Player of the Season in 1977/78

Tommy Bamford

1928-1934

The club’s scoring records are dominated by Tommy Bamford’s amazing accomplishments. He has not only scored many more goals than any other player, but he also averaged more goals per game.

With 207 goals in just 246 games, he has an incredible strike rate that puts him 65 ahead of Arfon Griffiths in second place. And, that wasn’t all, as he scored the most hat-tricks, too.

Although Mullin got close, Bamford scored a club-record 44 league goals (and 51 goals overall) in the 1933/34 campaign, setting another record that still stands today.

Appearances

246

Goals

207

Achievements

Record Wrexham goalscorer & club-record 44 league goals in 1933/34