We’re getting used to saying goodbye to familiar faces at Wrexham as our success means players who have done us proud move on to accommodate the remarkable progress we’re making.

In that regard, the announcements over the last couple of weeks have been familiar; what has been unusual is that it’s the women’s team which is seeing most of the upheaval.

Phil Parkinson’s side has just concluded the greatest season in our history in terms of league achievement, but we didn’t go up so for once he doesn’t have to rip up his squad and start again.

Financially, that might be for the best. We’ve taken calculated financial hits in clearing the decks for new players to join us in recent transfer windows, but now we’re a Championship side the wages and transfer fees are much higher so releasing players rather than clawing back some of their value becomes less feasible.

Jenny Sugarman’s side have also enjoyed Wrexham’s best ever campaign, but unusually they’re the ones experiencing a greater change.

Having dominated the domestic scene, the challenge is to take another step up, so we’ll see a lot of rebuilding at The Rock, quite apart from the improvements to the ground.

The goal is to maintain that domination, while building a side capable of making an impression in the Champions League. It’s an exciting challenge, but it means more new faces will be coming in as we look to replicate Parkinson’s remarkable success in rebuilding his squad.

Therefore, some players who have written their names indelibly in the club’s history have moved on.

Rosie Hughes has often been compared to Paul Mullin, and they are certainly similar in terms of their excellence in front of goal and iconic, wholehearted performances.

However, the greater similarity is with Tommy Bamford, because she has completely rewritten Wrexham’s record book. Her numbers are ludicrous and stand head and shoulders above anything else, just as Bamford’s figures were established between the wars but remain way beyond anything achieved in the last century.

Her commitment to the club is legendary, and another North Walian who has given so much to the club is Erin Lovett. She will be sorely missed as her development has been marked, and you could never find a more uncompromising defender.

She at least provided one of the most memorable Wrexham performances I’ve ever seen, a remarkable display of courage on the opening day of this season.

Forced on as an early substitute at Briton Ferry, she made an error which cost us a goal but recovered to put in a brilliantly resilient showing as we came back to win 5-2.

The player she replaced, Keren Allen, went off after a shocking challenge which essentially halted her season in the opening four minutes. Indeed, she announced her retirement once the season ended, and her whole-hearted leadership will be sorely missed.

The skipper always defended like her life depended on it and constantly took knocks as she put her body on the line without hesitation.

At the other end of the scale of experience, two young left backs were released: Leah Burke is a talented young defender who made an impressive breakthrough into the first team in mid-season but saw her opportunities limited by the arrivals of Mikayla Wildgoose and Sarah Harvey in the winter transfer window;

Neve Adams marked her debut with a spectacular goal at TNS but first team chances were a rarity as the season wore on.

Another left back, Hannah Snape, has also left after one season at The Rock. Her set piece delivery was remarkably good, and she made some impressive contributions going forward, but we have clearly got plans to reorganise the left side of our team.

Carra Jones’ departure removes another option from that side of the pitch…and just about everywhere else! Jones’ versatility made her a real asset as she c ould play as a wing-back on either side, further up the pitch or as a striker. Her pace was intimidating and her workrate was unmatched, meaning she was often used as an impact substitute in a variety of game states by Sugarman as she could tighten things up with her tenacity or add to our attack with direct runs. She scored plenty of goals over her three seasons with us too.

Abbie Iddenden was unfortunate with injuries, and it was a shame to see the 2024-25 player of the season unable to make an impact this time round. Still, the remarkable hat trick she scored in our first home win over Cardiff, which remains the best I’ve seen a Wrexham player of either gender strike, stands alongside a goal in our first ever win over The Bluebirds and its iconic celebration.

Mari Gibbard has also announced her retirement, which is such a shame for a player who brought experience and quality to our midfield as we earned promotion to the top tier, and has continued to excel whether she was used as a six, an eight or a ten.

A more unorthodox retirement is that of Under-19s goalkeeper Chloe Ankers, who has been on the bench for the last couple of seasons. She is going to concentrate on her coaching career for now, but it would be great to see her back between the posts, not least because her first team record of three games, three clean sheets is worth extending!

Andy Cannon was a massively important signing for us in the National League. His energy and quality were essential to our rise up the divisions, and it is such a shame that a horrible injury at Mansfield curtailed last season for him. He might well have continued in midfield alongside George Dobson, Matty James and Ollie Rathbone.

Jay Rodriguez also moves on, having played a key role in the second half of last season. Some didn’t appreciate his contribution, but his intelligence on and off the ball facilitated Sam Smith’s threat up front and helped a team which specialised in 1-0 wins to be secure when out of possession.

So, once more we face a Summer of change. In the right hands that can be a very exciting scenario, as Wrexham fans know better than anyone else. However, it’s important to acknowledge the contributions of those who are leaving us. They played their part in making us what we will become.