I never thought any of us would see the day. Wrexham, back in Europe. Indeed, Wrexham in the Champions League! I’m beside myself with excitement!

Jenny Sugarman’s side set themselves up to become the dominant force in Welsh football last season in the most exciting way, winning the league and Adran Trophy with a thrilling brand of attacking football.

Since then, as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, we’ve continued to draft in high-quality players over the Summer, and look even better equipped to take on the massive challenge of European football.

It won’t be easy, but overtaking an outstanding Cardiff City side wasn’t. Indeed, nothing which is worth striving for is.

That’s why it’s imperative we get as many fans in as possible, which I appreciate is a challenge after the World Cup and a second heatwave have exhausted us all.

However, the more we can evoke the atmosphere of our glorious European nights, the better our chances of adding to them.

The Racecourse, under the lights, against continental opposition, whether it be Wrexham or Wales, is an intrinsic part of our heritage.

The oldest international stadium in the world is welcoming the most prestigious competition in club football for the first time. Do you really want to miss that?

We enter at the first qualifying round, and unlike the men’s competition we will play in a group of four. Rather than a round-robin, there are two semi-finals and a final, with a third-place consolation match thrown in on Saturday in the hope that it will be as crazy as the England-France match last weekend!

The winner goes through to the second qualifying round, which has the same format and will be hosted in Køge, which is 30 miles south of Copenhagen.

Win that, and there’s a traditional two-legged tie to get into the Champions League proper.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. We’re facing a real challenge in our first match when we line up against Pyunik at The Racecourse.

They’re the champions of Armenia, and have been every year since they were first promoted to the top division three years ago. Last season they won every league match in an 18-game campaign, scoring an average of six goals a game and conceding just eight in total.

While we’re in Europe for the first time, this is their third campaign in the Champions League.

They have yet to make it through this stage yet, but did enjoy a maiden victory last season, beating the Bulgarian champions, before losing in the first round final.

In Sugarman and her coaching staff we have a group who are tactically smart and meticulous in their preparation.

Their players play with pace, verve and heart. The technical improvement in the side since we were first promoted to the top division of Welsh football in 2023 is remarkable, and a testimony to the excellent work that has been done in training as much as the quality of our signings.

We’re ready for this. We’ve been anticipating it all Summer, but in many ways we began building up to this challenge when we appointed Sugarman a year ago.

Since then, our focus has been on winning the league, breaking barriers and raising the standards of the club and, by extension, Welsh football.

This team is packed with fine players and tremendous personalities. I’ll be very proud when they walk out onto the pitch, as will the magnificent Wrexham Supporters Group who offer such vocal and sustained support.

They deserve to do something special and then share it with a group of supporters who have already earned the right to experience history. With a large international online audience urging them on as well, it’s time to spread our name a little further again.

My heart starts beating just a little faster when I remember the remarkable feats we’ve achieved in Europe, and the possibility that I might get a chance to see another at The Racecourse this week.

Jim Steel’s winner against Porto, rising above the defence to plant a header home at the Kop end; Barry Horne’s ludicrously acrobatic volley in the last moments of the return leg at the Estadio Das Antas which knocked the European giants out; Billy Ashcroft’s double strike to put one foot in the quarter-finals in 1976; Chris Armstrong’s shock winner in Denmark to bring Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United to The Racecourse.

Who will be the next Wrexham player to make history in Europe? To write another glorious unlikely chapter in the history of a club which has consistently upset expectations and refused to accept defeat even when it seems inevitable.

What a wonderful opportunity this is for a terrific squad of players to make a real mark on our story and give us all another moment to give thanks for the joy Wrexham AFC keeps bringing us.