Former Leicester City and Everton striker Mike Newell, who won a Premier League champions medal with Blackburn Rovers in 1994-94, is elated after joining Wrexham AFC.
Newell is assistant to newly-appointed manager Graham Barrow, who has accepted the post vacated by Sam Ricketts when he moved to Shrewsbury Town.
The Dragons, fourth in the Vanarama National League, travel to Aldershot on Saturday looking for a win to maintain pressure on top two Leyton Orient and Salford City.
“Graham knows he can trust me and that’s important as a manager,” said Newell.
http://https://youtu.be/GFpUV5o4Ry4
“I’ve been there and you need to know that you can trust your backroom staff and that was the most important thing for me. My role is to help him and the other people that are here running the club.
“Wrexham are in a position where they could compete for that top spot, let alone promotion. The home results have shown that this season, they are a force to be reckoned with.
“The club has a little bit of a buzz about it, you recognise when you walk into a club a happy dressing room and happy lads. I immediately recognised that.”
Scouser Newell, who scored 119 goals in more than 500 appearances during his full-time career, and Barrow played together at Wigan Athletic.
The 53-year-old Newell has been first team coach at Accrington Stanley and was a coach at Luton when they won the Division One title in 2005, while his latest post was with Al-Shabab in Saudi Arabia.
http://https://youtu.be/OVDGHZDKuTg
“I am excited,” said Newell. “Graham rang me and I said yes immediately.
“I came back from Saudi Arabia in February and had been out the game since then.
“Wrexham are a big club in the National League and has been probably one of the biggest clubs at this level for 10 or 11 years in this league.
“They are looking a lot closer to promotion than they have over the last few years. It was a no brainer to me.”
Newell has, like Barrow a couple of weeks ago, signed a two and a half year contract with Wrexham and says: “I haven’t been involved with Graham since we played together, which is years ago. I was 18-years-old.
“Graham looked after me on the pitch and I looked after him off it! I was quite elated to be honest that he thought of me.
“Along with everybody else, my target is promotion to the Football League. Wrexham, throughout my career, were a Football League club.
“My last memory of Wrexham, for me, was a good one with Luton because we won the league here, although that wasn’t such a great season for Wrexham. It would be great for me to be part of a club that can get back in the Football League and then start rising again.
“Wrexham have the fanbase and the facilities. I’ve seen clubs in League Two, and some who have had success in League Two, who are not a patch on Wrexham.”
Wrexham have been drawn at home against Vanarama National League promotion rivals Leyton Orient in the FA Trophy last 16.
Ties are to be played over the weekend of Saturday, January 12.