GETTING out of League One is the next step but Phil Parkinson remains focussed on Wrexham getting "right to the very top".

Parkinson was appointed manager at The Racecourse in July 2021 and he has led the Reds to two promotions in a row for the first time in the club's history.

After going from the National League to the third tier, there has been no let-up this season with Wrexham taking 25 points from the opening 13 games to sit third in the table, four points behind big-spending leaders Birmingham City.

Although he is not getting carried away, Parkinson is aiming high and says the club - owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhnney - have been putting plans in place for the success story to continue.

Speaking to William Hill at the Football Writers’ Association Northern Managers Awards, Parkinson said: “I think you’ve always got to dream.

“You’ve got to want to get right to the very top and be ambitious; that’s what it’s all about. 

"That’s not us getting carried away by any stretch of the imagination. We know we’ve got a huge challenge ahead of us this season.

“I’m putting structures in place, in terms of the squad, for years to come, and the owners are building the club behind the scenes to make us a strong, sustainable club for years to come. 

"Of course we want to keep progressing, but so do a lot of other teams! We’re doing everything we can to continue taking the club forward.”

Wrexham have hit the ground running and summer signing Ollie Rathbone, brought in from Rotherham United, expected the Reds to be among the pacesetters and mount a challenge for an unprecedented third successive promotion.

"Internally, it is what everyone wanted with the squad of players that we have got," said the midfielder.

"It can't be under-estimated how big a step up this is but with our squad of players, I don't think you can expect much less.

"This club was playing non-league football two years ago but when you look at the squad of players and you think 'why not?'.

"I think we have handled everything really well but we won't get ahead of ourselves. You wouldn't be getting too low if you were bottom of the league but we won't get too high with being at the top end."