'I played with Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay - now I'm signing for Wrexham'

Wrexham are expected to implicit the multi-million lb signing of Sam Smith from Reading, who played alongside Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay successful Manchester United's academy

Wrexham are acceptable to stroke their club-record transportation interest retired of the h2o with the impending accomplishment of a caller striker.

Backed by the riches of Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, the Red Dragons are expected to finalise a multi-million-pound woody for Reading guardant Sam Smith imminently. Wrexham person struggled for goals this season, contempt sitting successful 3rd successful League One.

The 26-year-old has 11 goals to his sanction truthful acold this run for the Royals, whose fiscal woes nether the ownership of Dai Yongge person near them susceptible to losing their prima players. The Reading Chronicle present reports that a determination to Wrexham is nearing completion aft Smith registered treble digits successful the 3rd tier during the past 4 seasons.

He was brought up done Manchester United’s academy successful his aboriginal career, wherever helium counted respective aboriginal celebrated faces amongst his team-mates. The players helium was adjacent to included Marcus Rashford, who has precocious fallen retired of favour astatine Old Trafford nether Ruben Amorim and could permission successful the existent transportation window, arsenic good arsenic now-Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay.

Ironically, it was Rashford's conversion to the relation of striker which partially contributed to Smith not making the people astatine United, but the erstwhile Cambridge United antheral said the acquisition helped signifier his character.

Speaking to the Cambridge Independent backmost successful September 2022, Smith said: “I grew up successful the academy astatine United. A batch of america lads went to the aforesaid school. Marcus Rashford was 1 of my friends, Axel Tuanzebe was there, Angel Gomes who is present successful France, Scott McTominay played with america and truthful did Dean Henderson. They were each bully lads.

“Being astir the champion young players successful the world astatine that property is key. The lads who didn’t spell connected to get a assistance astatine United conscionable fell retired the game, conscionable from the axenic disappointment.

“Luckily for maine I’ve got a truly bully household and they kept maine going. Mentally it was difficult, but I deliberation it tin besides physique you up mentally and it builds your character.”

Smith was archetypal picked up by Reading aft being released by United astatine the property of 16. He emerged from the club's younker ranks and signed his archetypal nonrecreational declaration with them successful the summertime of 2017.

He made his elder debut successful August that year, coming disconnected the seat successful a Carabao Cup clash against Gillingham. Reflecting connected his determination from Manchester, Smith admitted to uncovering it hard to set astatine first, but recognised however it helped him successful the agelong term.

He said: “Moving from Manchester each the mode down southbound astatine 16, it’s difficult, but it’s portion of what you’ve got to sacrifice erstwhile you’re young and you privation to marque it arsenic a footballer.

“They (Reading) came to 1 of my games astatine United. I knew rather aboriginal connected I wasn’t going to get a assistance due to the fact that they’d conscionable turned Marcus into a striker – helium was unbelievable.”

First squad appearances were hard to travel by for Smith successful his archetypal stint astatine Reading. He spent clip connected indebtedness with the likes of Oxford United, Shrewsbury Town, Cambridge United, Tranmere Rovers and Cheltenham Town earlier his declaration expired successful May 2021.

Smith past joined Cambridge connected a imperishable ground that summer, scoring 35 goals successful 109 appearances crossed each competitions during 2 seasons with the club, earlier returning to Reading successful July 2023. He bagged 16 goals successful 37 appearances for the Royals past word and has already netted 11 times successful 25 matches successful their existent run up until now.

Reports of his impending departure to Wrexham archetypal emerged aft helium scored connected Tuesday during Reading's 3-2 decision astatine Burton Albion. It follows Smith opening up successful December astir his vexation with the club's ongoing takeover saga and deficiency of finances.

Talking to BBC Radio Berkshire, helium was quizzed implicit whether helium expected to inactive beryllium with the Royals aft the January transportation model soon pursuing the departure of the club's manager, Ruben Selles.

He said: “I honestly person nary idea. We’ve seen successful the past the determination of immoderate players is taken retired of their hands. It’s evidently hard and you don’t cognize what is astir the corner.

“There is radical settled present who privation to build, but deity knows what’s going to happen. Hopefully we tin support arsenic galore arsenic we can. You suffer the manager and January is astir the corner, I deliberation the players are fearful arsenic well, nary 1 knows what’s going to hap and it doesn’t look similar thing has changed.

“I deliberation everyone is conscionable fed up of it to beryllium honest, it’s a changeless footwear successful the teeth erstwhile you’re trying to physique and you’re not backed. There’s not overmuch we tin bash astir that different than execute connected the pitch.”

Join our caller WhatsApp assemblage and person your regular dose of Mirror Football content. We besides dainty our assemblage members to peculiar offers, promotions, and adverts from america and our partners. If you don't similar our community, you tin cheque retired immoderate clip you like. If you're curious, you tin work our Privacy Notice.