WHEN Elliot Lee said he doesn’t like missing a game, he wasn’t wrong.

Lee was only absent for one game because of illness when Wrexham clinched the National League title following a record-breaking 2022-23 campaign, scoring 15 goals, but he went one better this season.

The playmaker was ever-present and the only member of Phil Parkinson’s squad who featured in all 46 League Two games - finding the net 16 times in 43 starts and three substitute appearances - as Wrexham secured a top-three finish to make it back-to-back promotions for the first time in the club’s history.

“It is something I am really proud of,” said the attacking midfielder, who arrived at The Racecourse from Luton Town in the summer of 2022.

“It is tough, it is not easy playing every game. The body gets tired, the travelling and the mental fatigue as well but I would never complain about playing every game.

“I have been out of squads in the past and not played football. I love playing football for Wrexham and it is a pleasure to play every week.”

No other player made more than 40 league appearances but Ollie Palmer came close, playing 39 games (25+14).

Despite missing the start of the campaign after suffering a punctured lung in pre-season, Paul Mullin went on to make 38 appearances (34+4) and he enjoyed another productive campaign, finishing as leading scorer with 26 goals in all competitions.

James McClean was next with 37 appearances and they were all starts, a feat on-loan goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo achieved in his 36 run-outs.

Andy Cannon featured in 35 matches (31+4), closely followed by Tom O’Connor who was involved in 34 matches (31+3) while Ryan Barnett played 32 times (25+7).

Jacob Mendy made 31 appearances (22+9) and Eoghan O’Connell was used in 30 games (28+2).

Two other players made more than 30 appearances - Steven Fletcher and Sam Dalby - with both strikers featuring predominantly as a substitute rather than from the start.

Ben Tozer, who like Mullin was ever-present during the 2022-23 title-winning season, came out of the side in the second half of the campaign but still made 29 appearances.

Phil Parkinson used a total of 32 players in League Two matches last season.

Jake Bickerstaff, Luke Bolton, Will Boyle, Max Cleworth, Jordan Davies, George Evans, Anthony Forde, Ben Foster, Aaron Hayden, Bryce Hosannah, Mark Howard, Aaron James, James Jones, Jack Marriott, Liam McAlinden, Callum McFadzean, Jordan Tunnicliffe, Billy Waters and Luke Young all made a contribution as Wrexham finished with 88 points from 46 games, four behind champions Stockport County.

Wrexham registered 26 wins, 10 draws and 10 defeats as the success story under Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney continued.

The Reds did the double over six teams - Crawley, Notts County, Morecambe, Grimsby, Colchester and Sutton.

There were only three sides that Wrexham didn’t beat - MK Dons, Bradford City and Harrogate Town - but no club did the double over Parkinson’s men.

Wrexham scored 105 goals in all competitions, with 89 of those coming in the league. With 52 goals conceded, the Reds finished with a +37 goal difference.

Parkinson, who was appointed manager in July 2021, is now planning for the club’s first season in League One since 2004-05 when Denis Smith was in The Racecourse hotseat.