Image Credits: Imago Images
Wrexham’s rise through the English football pyramid has been one of the defining stories of the sport’s recent years, and while the Hollywood ownership and the first-team headlines have grabbed most of the attention, the work happening quietly at academy level tells an equally important story about a club building for the long term.
This week, that story took on another layer.
Wrexham AFC have confirmed their latest intake of first-year scholars for the 2026/27 season, with eight players progressing into the Professional Development Phase following an induction evening at Rossett Hall.
The group were welcomed by Academy Manager Gus Williams and Professional Development Phase Lead Coach Craig Knight, each presented with a personalised Wrexham shirt to mark the occasion.
Knight described it as “a special moment for that young person who’s worked really hard to get where they are”, adding, pointedly, that it is “not the end of the journey, just a little stop-off point along the way.”
Among the eight new scholars is a goalkeeper who arrives carrying the kind of pedigree that does not come around often at this level, and whose path to North Wales has involved one of the most significant goodbyes of his young life.
Miles Lewis has officially joined Wrexham’s academy from Liverpool, where he spent eight years developing his craft before being released at the end of the season.
He is sixteen years old.
His connection to Wrexham began in February, when he was invited for a trial with the Under-18s.
During that visit, he was also given the opportunity to warm up with the first team ahead of their match against Ipswich Town, a detail that speaks both to how he was regarded by the staff and to the kind of environment Wrexham have built around their development programme.
Lewis announced his Liverpool departure on Instagram with a message that balanced gratitude and resolve in equal measure.
“After 8 years here at Liverpool my time has come to an end,” he wrote.
“I’m so grateful for all the opportunities given to me and so proud to say I’ve represented this club, it has been a dream come true.”
“I want to thank all my coaches, teammates and all the staff who have helped me get to this point in my career and put me in the best position ready for my next chapter.”
Being released from a top academy is never straightforward, but context matters.
Tom Atcheson, who left Liverpool’s setup at Under-12 level, has just been named Blackburn Rovers’ Young Player of the Year at 19, a reminder that departures from elite systems are often redirections rather than endings.
For Lewis, Wrexham represents exactly that, a club on the move, with an academy programme that is growing in ambition to match everything happening above it.
Next season, he lines up for the Under-18s.
The next chapter starts now.
