Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson reacts to bold Rob McElhenney claim over job security

Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson has welcomed co-owner Rob McElhenney's suggestion that he has the job for life, revelling in his role in the club's "fantastic story".

McElhenney, who recently celebrated five years at the helm alongside Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds, suggested this week that there was no scenario that would see Parkinson sacked after overseeing three promotions from National League to Championship.

“Phil has been the lynchpin of this entire thing,” McElhenney revealed before continuing his praise for the 58-year-old English manager.

“For him to take that risk and to come on that journey with us, no, create that journey and the blueprint, has been… critical is not the word… essential is not the word. I don’t know I have the words to fully describe how integral Phil has been to the story and success of Wrexham.

“He said to me very early in our conversations, ‘One thing I know for sure is you will fire me one day’. I said, ‘Really?’. He said every football manager knows at some stage he will get fired. I said, ‘OK, that’s fair, and I get that’s part of the gig’.

“But, Ryan and I talk all the time, and I just don’t see a scenario where Phil Parkinson gets fired. It doesn’t make any sense. He has been the architect, the creator of this. From our perspective, he’s got the job for life. Unless he finds another job he wants to go off and do, he’s our coach. He’s our manager. He’s our guy.”

Responding to that ringing endorsement, Parkinson said: "It's obviously great for Rob and Ryan to be saying things like that.

"It's a fantastic story for us all, particularly when you buy a football club and go into the unknown, to a certain degree... five years later you find yourself in the top six of the Championship.

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"Taking over a National League team with owners who are new to the game, who could have predicted it would work out the way it has?

"I want to enjoy each game, taking Wrexham to these away stadiums where we're filling out the away ends, having these pinch-yourself moments.

"Sometimes as a manager you can't live in the moment, you're always looking ahead, but I'm really trying for myself to appreciate what we've done."

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Parkinson's immediate focus moves to Friday's FA Cup fourth-round clash against fellow promotion hopefuls Ipswich, who sit three places above them in third.

He does so with fresh injury setbacks after Saturday's 2-0 loss to Millwall, Matty James having suffered a broken toe and Liberato Cacace managing a low-level hamstring strain.

"It's not ideal to lose key players, but that's what you've got a squad for," he said. "We've had a decent run with injuries."