Wrexham have been tipped to continue their remarkable rise up the football pyramid under Hollywood ownership
Liam Randall
12:05, 15 Jan 2026
Ex-Sunderland and Southampton striker Kevin Phillips has suggested that Wrexham should look to Bournemouth as a model for achieving lasting success in the Premier League.
Phillips, who enjoyed Championship promotion five times during his career, commended the efforts of manager Phil Parkinson after the north Wales team firmly positioned themselves in the play-off picture in their first season back in the second tier after 43 years. Wrexham are currently ninth in the Championship standings, just a point shy of the play-off spots, thanks to a streak of four consecutive league wins.
The Red Dragons have also tasted FA Cup success, knocking out Premier League side Nottingham Forest in a penalty shootout last week.
Speaking to BestBettingSites.co.uk, Phillips said: "I think what Phil Parkinson's done has been remarkable. They've got an opportunity [to get promoted]. Of course, the top two are way out of their reach.
"There are probably only three teams that are maybe competing for that. But certainly, they have put themselves in a position with the run that they've had.
"They've won their last four games to push for a play-off spot. Now, we've only just got into January. There are a lot of games to go, and they'll need a little bit of luck along the way."
Wrexham's rise through the football leagues began following the takeover by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac in February 2021. Under Phil Parkinson's stewardship, the club has achieved three consecutive promotions and emerged as genuine Championship contenders.
Phillips is convinced the club possesses the resources to maintain their upward trajectory, citing the owners' long-term vision and commitment to developing infrastructure. Nevertheless, he cautioned that reaching the Premier League is merely the first hurdle, encouraging Wrexham to mirror the approach adopted by Bournemouth.
Phillips said: "They've definitely got the resources [to become a sustainable Premier League team]. It's clear what the two owners want to do at that football club, and what they've done from the minute they walked in to now has been unbelievable.
"They want to get to the Premier League, and they're not shy about saying that. I think what you have to do is probably look at what Bournemouth did and where Bournemouth still are, competing comfortably in the Premier League year in and year out with a club that only holds 15-16,000 [spectators].
"Wrexham holds a bit more than that, or they will do with the new stand. So you use them as a model. If Wrexham were to get into the Premier League, I believe there would be other people who would look to invest in the football club to provide even more funds to bring in the players needed to stay there."
Wrexham are expected to be busy during the January transfer window following confirmation that Parkinson will have funds available. Phillips believes they ought to bolster their attacking options by bringing in additional firepower.
He said: "I feel if they can keep everyone fit, [they should] add maybe one or two players to that squad, maybe another striker, because I think the other two, [Nathan] Broadhead's only got four goals, [Josh] Windass has only got seven.
"If they could bring another striker in that can maybe come in and get them between 10 and 15 goals from now to the end of the season, then I think they've got a great chance of making the play-offs."
Wrexham's next Championship match takes place on Saturday, when Norwich City travel to the Racecourse Ground, as the Red Dragons aim to extend their winning streak and maintain their play-off ambitions.