If you don’t love Jacob Mendy, then there’s something wrong with you. Sorry, but that’s the harsh truth. Mendy is a lovable character, a wholehearted competitor, and a player who made a great impact as we scale the divisions. His permanent departure is a shame, but was inevitable on a couple of grounds. The Championship maybe felt like a step too far at this stage in his career for him and Wrexham’s swift progress means we can’t afford to wait for players to acclimatize, sadly.
Also, he has succeeded at Peterborough and that feels right too. Mendy has made great strides from his days as a part-timer in the National League and feels like a player who should be able to make a career in League One at least. We can only wish him all the best at Peterborough.
Of course, Mendy first caught our eye in a manner we didn’t appreciate at all. Our first ever game at Wealdstone, under Dean Keates, ended in a 4-3 defeat, the highlight of which was Mendy’s utterly magnificent long-range goal.
He arrived the next summer and instantly endeared himself to us with his muscular non-stop performances up and down the left.
Sadly, his progress was hampered by injuries. A terrifically muscular player, he hadn’t really had any issues with his fitness before coming to Wrexham, but he just felt like one of those players who was so well-built that those muscles were tightly wound and could snap at any moment.
His ability to enjoy a run of games in the first team was definitely hindered by that, even in the National League when he was first choice without question. James McLean’s arrival the next season gave him serious competition for a place, but he’d already written himself into the club’s history by then.
He’d already shown the wonder goal against us was no fluke: as early as his seventh game for us he’d smashed in a goal from outside the box at Dorking with his wrong foot, and he would be a constant threat whether shooting from distance or crossing. At the other end, he was a sturdy defender with a penchant for a hard tackle.
He scored six goals for us, and a high percentage of them were iconic. He put us 2-1 ahead in the epic “Ben Foster penalty save game” against Notts County in April 2023, and then scored our first goal on our return to the Football League, in the crazy 5-3 defeat to MK Dons. (The highlight videos will start playing at his goals.)
The injury that put him on crutches for the League Two promotion celebrations also, in effect, ended his time for Wrexham. It carried over into the next season, forcing him down the pecking order when he was already going to face stiff competition for a place.
However, his loan spell at Peterborough and their subsequent decision to make the arrangement permanent after just half a season, show he is a League One player. In moving up to that level with us, at least he’s benefitted from his time with us. He leaves with our wishes because, well, we love him don’t we?
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