Leah Burke’s departure was a surprise to many after an impressive breakthrough season in 2025-26. She had made her debut at the end of the previous campaign, and appeared as a substitute in the Welsh Cup semi-final, nearly teeing up a late goal in a 4-0 win over Pontypridd United.

A talented local player, she cut her teeth in the academies of some of England’s biggest sides before returning to North Wales to captain Wrexham’s Under-19s to back-to-back Adran North titles and the national title last Summer, having missed out on penalties the previous season.

She made her league debut last September, coming on for the last 11 minutes of a 6-1 victory against Pontypridd United.

Six weeks later came her first start. Normally deployed as a left wing-back in the Under-19s, she was fielded as a centre back on the left of a back three, against Llandudno in the Adran Trophy, where her pace and ability to read the game were put to good use. She also contributed an assist to a 9-0 win.

She showed an impressive ability to learn on the job against Aberystwyth in the quarter final of the competition when a tactical switch put Lily Moralee-Hughes directly against her. The dynamic forward has explosive pace and physical presence, and troubled Burke early on with driving runs, one of which ended in a goal.

However, Burke adapted her approach, judging that going touch-tight merely invited Moralee-Hughes to use her strength and explosive pace to burst through and instead dropping off a yard and backing her superior sustained pace to tame the forward. It worked, enabling us to survive a tricky period.

She was back in the starting eleven of the Trophy, still playing at centre back as we dispatched Briton Ferry 6-0 to reach the final of the competition for the first time. Our triumph in Bangor was the only game of our run in the competition she didn’t start.

Her quick decision-making and crisp passing were proving useful as she provided a regular source of early service to Faye Knox with her first time passing.

She started the next two games, a 3-1 win over Briton Ferry and the final game of Phase One, a 6-1 win at Barry Town United, starting at left wing-back at last and causing problems for the hosts with overlapping runs and crosses.

However, the winter transfer window saw us recruit players who could play on the left side. Miyayla Wildgoose came in at centre back and Sarah Harvey was deployed as a left wing-back.

She’d only make two more appearances for the first team, both off the bench: 25 minutes at Carmarthen and a brief farewell in the final match of the season.

Burke makes a massive contribution to the club off the pitch as well through her work for the Wrexham Foundation. She is an articulate spokesperson, regularly selected to represent the club in interviews, as well as a talented youth coach. Sad as it was to see her time as a player with Wrexham come to an end, she is in a position to make a big impact at the club for years to come.