A free agent who idolised Ryan Giggs when he was at Manchester United is reportedly eager to join Wrexham. Welsh international Tom Lawrence is currently unattached after his contract with Scottish club Rangers expired at the end of last season.
The attacking midfielder, born in Wrexham, was plagued by injuries following his move from Derby County to Ibrox in 2022. Despite the setbacks, the 31-year-old managed to make 65 appearances and netted 11 goals during his three-year stint in Glasgow.
He’s now on the hunt for a new club, with Wrexham, owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, said to be interested in acquiring his services. While Lawrence has reportedly attracted interest from clubs in the Middle East and Turkey, the Mail reports that the prospect of playing for his hometown club is an appealing one.
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The Red Dragons, who clinched promotion from League One to the Championship in April, have already signed one local talent in the summer transfer window. The North Wales outfit announced the signing of goalkeeper Danny Ward on a two-year deal on Tuesday, following his release from Leicester City.
If they manage to secure Lawrence’s signature, Wrexham would be adding a player who honed his skills under some of the best in the business during his time at Manchester United.
He joined the Premier League heavyweights at just seven-years-old and had the privilege of learning from Manchester United legends such as Sir Sir Alex Ferguson and Paul Scholes, as well as his hero Giggs.
Highlighting the impact this had on him in an interview last year, Lawrence told the Sun: “I was at United from the age of seven until I was 20. So the number of figures that helped me out along the way, I couldn’t name them all.
“What I will say is that you looked up to those who were in the first team at the time, the likes of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. Coaching-wise Paul McGuinness and Warren Joyce helped me massively.
“I am really thankful to them all. There were role models everywhere. It was just all about standards, it makes you have those standards from such a young age.”
He added: “Sir Alex Ferguson was one for big standards and you couldn’t mess up. That grounding never leaves you. When you grow up hearing that you just get used to doing the same high level standard stuff every day. It’s instilled in you.”
Despite his lengthy tenure at United, Lawrence’s first-team outings were limited to a single senior match in May 2014 against Hull. At the time, Giggs was juggling roles as United’s player-manager when Lawrence played most of the game.
In a poignant moment, Giggs replaced Lawrence on the pitch with 20 minutes to go, marking his final appearance for United.