SANTA CLARA — Phil Parkinson initially didn’t want to take the Wrexham AFC managing job three summers ago.
The England native, a veteran of coaching campaigns across various lower levels of the English football pyramid, initially turned down overtures from the Welsh club after Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s purchase in November 2020.
A lengthy phone call from McElhenney made him reconsider and helped convince him to sign on. Three years later, he’s guided the Red Dragons to back-to-back promotions and taken two consecutive summer preseason tours to the United States.
His latest stop is in Santa Clara for a match against legendary English Premier League powerhouse Chelsea tonight at Levi’s Stadium. It’s been an unexpected ride for Parkinson but one he’s enjoyed every moment of.
“This is an amazing experience for us,” Parkinson told Bay Area News Group. “It really is. And sometimes, we all have to pinch ourselves, because the reception we’ve had in the U.S. has been incredible. We’re just soaking it in, really enjoying it, and making sure that we concentrate on making gains each day in training and each game. But equally going back with the experience of being in this amazing country.”
Wrexham became global soccer darlings with the release of Reynolds and McElhenney’s “Welcome to Wrexham” documentary, which catapulted Parkinson and several of Wrexham’s first-team fixtures to international stardom. With time, the Red Dragons have adjusted to their bustling new reality, one that makes time a precious commodity.
As they gallivant across the West Coast on this year’s summer tour, hopping from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles and up to Santa Clara, Parkinson has stressed balance and a holistic approach for his squad.
“We planned it all out before we came and made sure that the demands weren’t too great,” he said. “Like any club, the priority is training times. But equally, it’s important as well that if the lads are requested to do any media duties, perfect, because that’s good as well. That’s good for them to experience that over in the USA.
“Nothing we’ve done has detracted from the training. It really hasn’t, because everybody connected with the club knows that we’ve got to make sure that we go back in good shape, first and foremost.”
Parkinson noted that Wrexham has enjoyed California’s sunshine, even though the heat has been an adjustment for a British soccer team.
“It’s been good so far,” he said. “Training, really, I’ve been pleased. The heat is different for us, but I think the lads have adapted well to it.
“We’ve just come back from the U.K. — when we left, the weather wasn’t too great. So we’re not going to moan about the sunshine. So yeah, we’ve enjoyed the training. The facilities have been good. And then we move on to tonight, and what a great game to be part of.”
Parkinson said he sometimes gets stopped by strangers while on vacation, and Wrexham’s players are especially well recognized in the U.S. While worldwide fame has been a significant change for a group of somewhat anonymous footballers, Parkinson encourages them to embrace the unique and unprecedented opportunity to be a part of something historic.
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“Everybody’s always respectful, which is fantastic,” he said. “It’s our job to kind of enjoy that. Be respectful to everyone and remain humble, which we have been. We’re not getting carried away with ourselves. But equally, yeah, I always say to the players we’ve got here and the ones we try and sign, ‘This club is different. It’s a different journey.’ All the lads that come in when they sign and they’re here a few months, they go, ‘Wow, this is great.’
“Because it is exciting to be part of Wrexham. Every day, there’s something different happening. It really is good.”
For defender Max Cleworth, who entered Wrexham’s academy at age 12, witnessing the growth of the club he grew up with has been a once-in-a-lifetime expedition.
“When I was in the academy, you couldn’t have even imagined or dreamed of it,” Cleworth told this news organization. “So I’m very lucky to have been a part of that journey. Some of that, we’ve managed to take in our stride and just enjoy the ride. I think the fans have enjoyed it as well, because obviously there’s been ups and downs.
“But as a whole, the club, the town, the people, we’re on an upward curve, so we want that to continue and enjoy what’s coming.”