Wrexham A.F.C.'s midfielder Matty James has been a key player for the club, proving his worth once again this season. A product of the Manchester United academy, James left Bristol City at the end of the 2023-24 season and was a free agent before arriving at The Racecourse in October 2024, initially on a short-term deal. After making an immediate impression at The Racecourse, the 34-year-old penned a contract until the end of the 2025-26 season and he helped Wrexham finish runners-up in League One to secure a record-breaking third successive promotion. James then played his part as Wrexham challenged for a Championship play-off spot this season, earning a new deal which keeps him at the club until the summer of 2027. And he's delighted how things have worked out since he was left without a club when his three-season spell in the second tier with City came to an end. The gratitude that James has for this football club to give him the chance when they did, at the time of his career and the time of the season as well, is clear. He said: 'It didn’t really make much sense what was happening, so to then have that opportunity around the October time, it was a little bit strange.' James enjoyed a long spell with Leicester, where he was a promotion winner and was with the Foxes when they won the Premier League in 2016, before his stint with Bristol City where he was a regular until his release. He has made 69 league appearances for Wrexham, scoring three goals, and has also captained the side, but he prides himself on being a leader whether he dons the armband or not as one of the senior players in Phil Parkinson's squad. James has always tried to be a leader throughout his whole career, since he was a young lad. Being given the opportunity to captain the side, he's always honoured to do that. Moving forward, you've got numerous lads in there that can lead and James thinks that's what's really good about this squad. But from his point of view, he's a little bit more experienced, a little bit older, so he always tries and helps and guides different people in different directions depending on what the game needs or what somebody needs on and off the pitch. It's something that he enjoys doing. Being a more senior player in the group, you get leaned on a little bit in certain situations. So James is happy to oblige. He came into the team and at the end of that season it was a bit of a surreal moment to be promoted back to the Championship in the space of about eight months. It was incredible really so it's been good for us both and hopefully that continues. James is now looking forward to the next challenge with Wrexham A.F.C.