Wrexham axe club captain and seven others while squad in Las Vegas

Wrexham have made the tough decision to release eight players, including six of their promotion heroes, as they prepare for life in League One. Among those let go are Ben Tozer, Luke Young, Aaron Hayden, Rob Lainton, Callum McFadzean and Jordan Tunnicliffe, whose contracts have all expired.

Youngsters Owen Cushion and Dan Davies have also been released.

The squad are currently in Las Vegas celebrating their promotion, having travelled to the US last year too.

However, it's not all departures at the Racecourse Ground, with new contracts being offered to star names including James McClean and Steven Fletcher. McClean, who played a key role in Wrexham's promotion, has extended his contract until next summer.

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The 35-year-old Republic of Ireland international made 44 appearances last season, scoring three goals.

Fletcher, who joined at the start of the League Two season, has also been offered a new deal. The Scotland international scored eight goals in 32 appearances, including a hat-trick in a 4-1 comeback win against Barrow in January, reports the Mirror.

Goalkeeper Mark Howard and defender Aaron James have also been offered new contracts by co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney as they look to build a squad capable of competing in the third tier.

Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson concedes that necessary changes on the field could mean bidding farewell to some familiar faces, following the club's stunning leap from League Two to League One.

After their triumphant 2-0 victory against Stockport County, the victors of the League Two championship, Parkinson was asked about his plans for the next stage. He responded: "Obviously improve the squad," adding "As you go up the divisions, everything improves: athleticism, quality, preparation."

The man at the helm spoke confidently of enhancing what needs to be fortified, stating, "Everything we need to improve which we will do, there's a lot of hard work to be done over the summer but we'll sit down and as we've done before and take our time and make the right decisions to give us a chance to be competitive next season."

The game against Stockport also marked the final appearance for top player Young, who had captained Wrexham to consecutive promotions - a first in the club's history. The back-to-back Player of the Season, who notched up 22 goals during his tenure, gave an emotional farewell with his 259th performance.

When queried about Young's legacy, Parkinson underscored the critical contribution of experienced stalwarts like Young and Tozer to the season's promotion-clinching success.

Parkinson highlighted the challenges of managing player transitions, stating: "There's the possibility of players moving on and that is the hard part of any manager's job but we also know that we've got to evolve as a club and we'll try and do that," He praised the team spirit, adding, "But as I just said to the lads in the dressing room that one of the key elements to our success this season has been the dressing room and the lads out of the team."

He commended the professionalism of his squad, particularly noting, "You know, Ben Tozer, who hasn't played a lot recently, Luke Young hasn't played, the professionalism has been outstanding. Outstanding, he's driven the group on. Stockport will be in the same situation."

Parkinson concluded with a commitment to fairness, saying, "I'm sure decisions have got to be made and we'll just do them fairly and honestly."