“Could overtake them” – Mark Howard makes Wrexham claim involving Cardiff City and Swansea

Wrexham are undisputedly one of the most talked about clubs in the EFL at present.

As a result of the well-documented ownership duo of Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny, the North Wales outfit have been met with severe media coverage since their takeover was completed back on February 9th, 2021.

At the time, the club were still in the midst of a National League slog that began after suffering relegation to the Non-League game back in 2008.

However, the club have since made great strides on and off the pitch, which has collided with serious expectations which Phil Parkinson’s side have been able to match, earning back-to-back promotions from the Vanarama National League straight into League One.

Wrexham goalkeeper namedrops Welsh rivals in bold future prediction

One of the men who has played a key part in the Red Dragons’ upward trajectory is experienced goalkeeper, Mark Howard.

Howard has been an established goalkeeper in the EFL for a lengthy period of time, with notable periods in particular coming at Sheffield United, Bolton Wanderers and Blackpool.

The 37-year-old may not have featured on a regular basis when the STōK Cae Ras played host to League Two football for the first time in 15 years, but he remains positive about the future of his current employers, as well as comparing them to Cardiff and Swansea, where he enjoyed loan spells during the infancy of his professional career.

“Potentially we could overtake them,” Howard began. “It would be a huge feat to do so with the history and tradition that Cardiff and Swansea, two of my former clubs, have.”

“To say we are chasing that sort of legacy is incredible in itself. Just look at where Wrexham have been for the last 15 years,” he added.

“We’ve had back to back promotions and now that people are starting to compare us to Cardiff or Swansea, clubs where I have been at and who have incredible fan bases, is amazing really.”

The veteran goalkeeper concluded: “We are still playing catch up with them but speaking as being part of Wrexham, it’s a really exciting journey that we are on.”

Wrexham’s stature compared to Cardiff City and Swansea City

The aforementioned statement made by Howard is extremely bold, considering the stature Cardiff and Swansea hold when compared to the two other Welsh sides competing in the EFL in the form of Wrexham and Newport County.

With Cardiff and Swansea harbouring ambitions of returning to the Premier League, as well as the historical and recent success enjoyed by both clubs – in particular the Swans, who won the 2013 EFL Cup and reached the UEFA Europa League knockout stages the following season, it does seem like it may take a lengthy period of time for Wrexham to match the two sides on paper, despite their well-documented ambition.

Wrexham’s aims in the third tier

The expectation will be on Wrexham to have another successful season, as well as spending a hefty sum of money in the transfer market to reach the Championship, but at some point, this model may lose long-term sustainability.

Given that Parkinson is a well-established manager at League One level, along with some of his squad – albeit an ageing one – it would be fair to say that consolidating in the third tier would be a realistic and successful aim, given some of the sides that are in the third tier next season, such as Birmingham City, Bolton, Barnsley, Peterborough and many more.

As Howard says, the club are still playing catch-up in terms of stature compared to their Welsh rivals, but the ambition in the short-term will definitely be to be on a level-playing field on the pitch, with second tier football their next target.

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