Wrexham produced a solid display to open their 2025-26 pre-season campaign with a victory.
The Red Dragons eased to a 3-0 victory over Melbourne Victory on the first leg of their Australian tour and Phil Parkinson was impressed with Ryan Hardie as the striker scored on his debut.
The squad have now arrived in Sydney for their second game and the match could see the return of Sam Smith and Jay Rodriguez after the duo missed out in Melbourne.
Despite their victory, Parkinson is expecting another test for his side and has warned his players over the quality that all A-League sides possess.
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Photo by MARTIN KEEP/AFP via Getty ImagesPhil Parkinson believes A-League sides have ‘athleticism’ in warning to Wrexham players
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Wrexham’s clash with Sydney FC, Parkinson has warned his players over the ‘athleticism’ that the Australian sides possess.
Parkinson stated: “I think that all the teams are very athletic, we saw that on Friday night against Melbourne Victory. There are players who are making that transition into the European leagues and it’s great that it’s flourishing.
“I know that their season’s quite a way off, but they’ve got the cup competition coming up and they’ve been back more or less the same time as us, having had a few weeks in pre-season.
🗣️ “I think that all the teams are very athletic. We saw that on Friday night against Melbourne Victory.”
Phil Parkinson spoke in Sydney this morning, ahead of our second pre-season match, against @SydneyFC 👇
🔴⚪ #WxmAFC
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) July 13, 2025
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“There’s a lot of very technical players, but I think the good thing about the Australian teams, particularly is the athleticism of players.
“It was a standout for us against Melbourne Victory, as they have the pace and running power in the team. It was good for us to come up against that.”
Wrexham are interested in Liberato Cacace and the left side of the defence is an area that the manager is keen to strengthen this summer.
Thomas O’Connor struggled in the first half against Melbourne, the defender was caught out for pace on a number of occasions and this will be a concern heading into the Championship campaign.
Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images
Parkinson has the likes of Lewis Brunt and James McClean down that left channel but will also be wanting to add depth to his squad as the rigours of the season hit.
Cacace is known for his running power and being a New Zealand international, he could be the ‘athletic’ target that Parkinson is desperate to add to his squad.