Steven Gerrard & Jose Mourinho namechecked in Wrexham AFC manager debate - Disney+ factor mentioned | OneFootball

Matt Jansen has mentioned the 'Special One' in a verdict on Wrexham's future managerial prospects

Former Wrexham and Blackburn Rovers striker Matt Jansen has issued a rather stunning claim on the future possibility of José Mourinho taking the managerial reins at the STōK Cae Ras.

In an interview with GOAL, the ex-Red Dragons forward admitted that the publicity generated from the club's 'Welcome to Wrexham' series could eventually be enough to lure a high-profile head coach or manager, such as the self-proclaimed 'Special One' to North Wales.

At present, Wrexham are enjoying a steady start to what is their first season at Championship level since 1982, with their well-documented backing from Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney enough to see the club embark on a rapid and record-breaking rise of three successive promotions from the National League, through League Two and League One and now into the second tier.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, the expectation levels which currently surround the Welsh side are extremely high and unprecedented, having overseen yet another major squad transition under Phil Parkinson after a record-breaking transfer window.

The ex-Bolton Wanderers boss is also in the midst of his first spell in charge at this level since enduring contrasting fortunes at the Toughsheet Community Stadium back in 2018/19, in which Wanderers suffered relegation back to League One before briefly flirting with extinction.

After a somewhat inconsistent start to the campaign, Parkinson's position in the hotseat was reportedly under threat, although such fears of the sack have been eased with a run of two wins, three draws and one defeat in the past six Championship games, as well as a passage into the EFL Cup's round of 16.

Regardless, Jansen has been speaking about who could eventually replace the 57-year-old, with some rather rogue shouts thrown into the mix.

Matt Jansen issues José Mourinho, Wrexham managerial claim amid Phil Parkinson replacement verdict

There have been plenty of managerial changes made in the early weeks of the season in both England and Scotland, with the likes of Nuno Espírito Santo, Graham Potter, Steven Gerrard and Sean Dyche at the very forefront of subsequent discourse.

With Wrexham looking to make waves and enter the top flight for the first time in their lengthy history, Jansen believes that some of the aforementioned names could eventually be targeted, whilst continuing to heap praise on Parkinson's exploits, which recently saw him named as a freeman of the city.

"Will Parkinson stay there? Will a bigger name come in? Would a Steven Gerrard be interested in a similar thing to what Frank Lampard is doing at Coventry?" Jansen said.

"Then you have got Graham Potter, who is out of work now. You’ve got Sean Dyche, who is vastly experienced. Then you’ve got Big Sam (Allardyce), who is always there or thereabouts.

"There are always going to be names dotted about. Phil Parkinson has done a fantastic job so far. How long that will continue, who knows," he added.

With the previously highlighted Disney Plus series helping the club post a record-high turnover in their most-recently published financial accounts due to global interest, especially from across the Atlantic Ocean, Jansen admitted that whilst Mourinho would unlikely change vacancies so swiftly after recently taking the Benfica job following an early-season exit from Fenerbahçe, it shouldn't be fully ruled out depending on the Red Dragons' future trajectory and ambitions.

"He’s just gone to Benfica and they are in the Champions League, so would he drop to the Championship?" The 47-year-old debated.

"You can never tell with Mourinho, he loves the attention. It would be a drama that he would probably relish. I can’t see him leaving Benfica, but you can never say never."

Jose Mourinho to Wrexham would be a managerial appointment for the ages

In truth, Jansen's claim in itself regarding one of world football's most successful managers of all-time and a potential switch to North Wales showcases how far Wrexham have come in such a short space of time, and it would certainly be an appointment for the ages, as unlikely as it may seem.

We have seen some master tacticians and high-profile stars ply their respective trades in Championship dugouts, such as Nuno, Marcelo Bielsa, Marco Silva and Rafael Benitez. However, none are quite in the same stratosphere as the Portuguese, who has won an obscene amount of club-based and individual titles and awards, including four Premier League titles and two UEFA Champions Leagues across 1,200 games in management.

That is, of course, a long way off for the Red Dragons at present, who have their own immediate and long-term aims, although it remains to be seen if they were able to initially establish themselves in the top-flight were they to get promoted, with so many newly-promoted sides struggling to compete in terms of on-pitch results and resources in comparison to the other 17 divisional rivals.