ELLIOT LEE knows from experience that it will be much tougher in League One next season but the playmaker says Wrexham will be well-equipped to make the step-up.

Fans’ favourite Lee arrived at The Racecourse nearly two years ago after leaving Luton Town and his first season ended with Phil Parkinson’s men clinching the National League title following a record-breaking 2022-23 campaign.

The success story continued this term as the Reds secured a top-three finish in League Two, securing back-to-back promotions for the first time in the club’s history.

Wrexham are back in the third tier for the first time in nearly two decades, a level that Lee is familiar with having helped the Hatters win the title in 2018-19 to reach the Championship.

Lee refuses to get carried away and state that Wrexham can follow in Luton’s footsteps but the 29-year-old says the Reds, boosted by inevitable new signings over the summer to strengthen the squad, will be ready for life at a higher level.

“It is a big leap from National League to League Two, it’s a big leap from League Two to League One, League One to Championship and so on,” said Lee, voted Players’ Player of the Season by his team-mates after scoring 16 goals this season.

“That’s where we want to be. We want to be playing against better players and better teams.

“We have already got amazing players and without getting too far ahead of ourselves, I am sure we will add more great players in the summer and we will get stronger.

“The biggest thing we have is our dressing room, we are all so close. It’s full of great lads and the staff are all so close.

“It’s a big leap but one we are all ready for and looking forward to already.”

Lee’s first two seasons at The Racecourse couldn’t have gone better with the attacking midfielder playing a key role in successive promotions.

Although he is under no illusion that it won’t be easy next season when Wrexham come up against the likes of former club Charlton, Birmingham and Wigan, Lee says the players will embrace being in League One.

“When I left Luton I said I wanted a project similar to Luton,” said Lee, the only Reds player to feature in every league game this season.

“I wanted to go up the leagues and then Wrexham came. It just so happens that the first two seasons worked out exactly how I wanted to go.

“It doesn’t often go like that but we’ve taken League Two; we are always confident in ourselves but we didn’t get ahead of ourselves, it’s not easy.

“There is more pressure on Wrexham. We go to away games and they fill out the stadium so it gives their players a boost.

“I think that is something we are all so proud of, that we deal with all that so well and we have had success back-to-back now.

“We will go at it head-on again in League One, we are a tight-knit group and we will see where that takes us.

“This season has given us more success and we will have the same mindset going into next season.”

Wrexham thrashed Forest Green Rovers 6-0 on a memorable day at The Racecourse to secure promotion with two games to spare.

The Reds knew they would guaranteed a place in League One if they won and MK Dons and Barrow dropped points against Mansfield and Gillingham respectively.

With Wrexham taking care of their own business - Parkinson’s side were 4-0 up at half-time against sorry Rovers - it turned out that results elsewhere were favourable and it was job done for Lee, who opened the scoring after 17 minutes, and his team-mates.

“It was a high pressure game. We knew what Forest Green were going to do and we just had to go about our business,” he added.

“If the goal didn’t come we just had to stay patient but I was fortunate enough to tap one in at the back stick and get us on the way, and then it was two, three, four.

“Even at half-time we said we are not stopping there and it worked out that way.

“Obviously with results going our way as well, it turned out to be an amazing day and one we will savour for a long time.

“I am so grateful to be here and days like this just make it all worth it.”