IT was a big step for Luke Young moving away from south west England to join Wrexham but he is no mood to leave the area despite looking for a new club.

The 31-year-old has been released by Reds’ boss Phil Parkinson after spending six seasons at The Racecourse.

Born in Plymouth, Young played for his home-town club before signing for Devon neighbours Torquay United in 2014.

Young decided to step out of his natural habitat and join Wrexham in the summer of 2018 and the first-team captain helped his side clinch back-to-back promotions for the first time in the club’s history before being told he was not being retained at the end of the season.

It remains to be seen where Young will be playing when the 2024-25 campaign kicks off but he does not intend to up sticks because his family is settled.

“It was a big step joining Wrexham and moving away from everybody, and thinking we were doing it all by ourselves but we have no regrets,” said Young, who is married to Chloe and has two children. 

“Looking back now, it was the best thing that happened for my career footballing-wise.

“I have left Wrexham but we are still going to be around the area.

“Chloe and the kids are most certainly going to be sticking where we are in Oswestry.

“The kids are settled in school, Chloe has got good friends and good people around her, and she is settled as well.

“It comes to a time in life where you have got to have that settlement in your family life and we have certainly found that up here.

“For me to kind of take that away from them is not the right thing to do.”

Young made 259 appearances and scored 22 goals for the club, helping Wrexham secure the National League title following a record-breaking 2022-23 campaign before finishing runners-up to League Two champions Stockport County to make it successive promotions for the first time in the club’s history.

There was no shortage of personal glory for Young who won back-to-back Player of the Season Awards in 2019-20 and 2020-21, two Goal of the Season Trophy accolades, and one Top Goalscorer gong, and he was first-team captain for the last three years following his appointment by Parkinson.

He’s still a free agent but Young is looking forward to being a regular at his next club after finding chances limited at Wrexham this season.

“There are things floating about but we will see what happens,” he added.

“Whether it is around the corner or a few hours away, wherever it is going to be then I will go and do what I have got to do, and I know I have got the backing of Chloe and the kids to do that.

“If I go and find somewhere where I am fighting to play regularly and I am involved more, if I am happy doing that it makes life a little bit easier back up here.

“We will see what comes about but I am hoping to move on somewhere and if it is going to be two years, three years, four years at another club, who knows.”