We saw a number of people who have done a lot for Wrexham AFC Women leave the club in the last few days, and there is a lot to process and discuss about those decisions and what they tell us about the direction the club is taking as we step up to another level next season.

However, those considerations will have to wait for the moment, as there is one particular departure which demands acknowledgement.

Some incredible servants of the club left, having given us not only fabulous memories, but also historic achievements. We have risen to unimagined heights through their commitment to the cause.

Firstly though, Gemma Owen’s astonishing contribution is far beyond what most could ever hope to achieve in the name of their club.

If it wasn’t for her, there would be no Welsh champions, no women’s team, no return to European football.

Gemma is one of those rare people who make enormous differences to people’s lives on both the big and the small scales.

As a teacher, I got to see her excellent community work first hand. She would travel tirelessly around the schools, opening students’ eyes to the opportunities sport offers. When I was a kid, it felt like something reserved for an elite few; nobody in Gemma’s orbit could ever think that.

She made immeasurable impacts on young people’s lives in a myriad of ways, and she’ll never know how much of a difference she has made.

How many kids were inspired by her as a role model, encouraged by her support or bolstered by her kindness? It’s impossible to quantify, and that’s the most honest tribute I can offer her.

She gave to others without question, and her generosity meant that so many times she will have made a huge difference to somebody simply by being her. She wouldn’t have even realised it, but her nature was enough to make a difference without her even trying.

On the larger scale, her tireless work for the women’s game, and for the community-facing wing of the club, was remarkable.

I’ve long felt that the takeover was not a slice of luck; it’s an example of good things happening to good people.

By quietly expressing their passion for Wrexham AFc with heart and commitment, the likes of Gemma, Geraint Parry and Kerry Evans attracted Rob and Ryan to Wrexham. Seeing their work rewarded by the sky-rocketing fortunes of the club is a just reward for their efforts.

“Quietly getting on” with things is exactly how Gemma wanted to do her work. If I arrived stupidly early for a game, Gemma would already be there with her regular partner-in-crime Rhian, sorting out equipment and kit. If I left late, they’d still be there, loading everything back into a white van that covered more distance than even Ollie Rathbone last season.

It’s not glamorous work; the important things never are. It’s the unseen commitment that allows others to dream. Without such uncelebrated graft, nothing can succeed.

Gemma has done so much to create, foster and maintain the women’s wing of the club.

Just making the small differences to people’s lives would be inspirational. But how many people can also claim to have got a club going from scratch and seen them develop into a Champions League team?

That’s about as big picture as it gets!

The journey from Ponciau Banks to national champs has been an incredible one, and Gemma has guided us through it with patience, intelligence and positivity.

She deserves a medal merely for dealing with the Welsh F.A. for so long!

Some of her regular interactions are rather more fulfilling, though. She always finds time for those who offer such outstanding support to the team. The Wrexham Supporters Group are a credit to the club, and Gemma has always gone out of her way to ensure that they know that.

That level of gratitude and appreciation is something the club has got right. The players and staff of both men’s and women’s teams are approachable and respectful of the support they get: it’s a non-negotiable element of our ethos which no amount of success has shaken.

You’ll not find any players arriving with expensive headphones cutting them off from the fans around them when we’re playing!

Gemma embodied these values long before the takeover, setting an example by always being happy to give some of her time to others.

She gets results, but what sets her apart is that natural generosity of spirit. You can’t have enough terrific role model in your life, and Gemma has been exactly that in all aspects of her work with Wrexham.

I am deeply saddened to see her leave, but there could be no more appropriate way to depart than with a trophy under each arm and a team in Europe.

That, to me, is the definition of a club legend.