da dobrowin： Phil Parkinson sent out a stern warning to Wrexham players before jetting off on pre-season tour of North America.
da dobrowin： Article continues below
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Wrexham to fly to the USA for pre-seasonWill play friendlies against Premier League sidesParkinson looking to hit top gear before League One startsWHAT HAPPENED?
The team’s itinerary includes high-profile matches against Premier League clubs Bournemouth and Chelsea, set to take place on the scenic west coast of the United States in Santa Barbara and Santa Clara. Following these fixtures, Wrexham will make their final stop in Vancouver, the hometown of their Canadian co-owner, actor Ryan Reynolds, to face off against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
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Accompanying the team on this tour are new signings George Dobson and Lewis Brunt, who joined from Charlton Athletic and Mansfield Town, respectively. Arthur Okonkwo, who recently made his move from Arsenal permanent, is also part of the squad. Additionally, Seb Revan and Callum Burton have integrated with the team after their transfers earlier this week.
WHAT PARKINSON SAID
As Wrexham prepares for their first season in League One in 19 years, the team is set for rigorous training sessions under the Californian sun.
“We had a good couple of weeks training at home and this feels a good time to be going away,” said Parkinson in an interview with . “I was very pleased with how the lads came back into the building after the summer. They’d all been doing a lot of work in the off-season.
“Now, it is about stepping things up. It’s not a holiday. There are three really important games, which will be totally different to Hanley (whom Wrexham beat 5-1 last weekend). If you look at last year and the games against the Premier League sides, you don’t get as much possession as you’d like.
“But that’s a good exercise as it allows us to work on our out-of-possession shape and organisation, which will both be key going into League One. This is a working trip and we have to come back in as good a shape as we can to be ready for the new season.”
DID YOU KNOW?
However, the team will be without Paul Mullin, Wrexham's top scorer for the past three seasons, as he is recovering from back surgery. "The medical team is travelling with us, but unfortunately, Mulls is not able to join," confirmed Parkinson. Jacob Mendy, who recently underwent hamstring surgery, will also miss the start of the campaign.