Wayne Rooney names 3 EFL clubs he wants to see in the Premier League | OneFootball

The England icon would like to see a trio of sides who have never been in the Premier League to have a first crack at it in the near future

In recent years, there has been constant debate over what constitutes as a 'proper' Premier League club, and which EFL sides would make for better propositions in the division.

The top division of English football, which was incepted in 1992, has seen 51 different sides ply their trade over the course of 33 years, and in recent years there have been some less traditional clubs that have found their way into the upper echelons.

The likes of Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth just to name a few, perhaps with smaller fanbases than other clubs that have never made it to England's premier club competition, have become mainstays in the top flight.

And ex-England international striker Wayne Rooney has weighed in on the debate, selecting three clubs for his ideal 20-club Premier League - all of which have never graced the competition.

Wayne Rooney namedrops 3 EFL clubs in ideal Premier League scenario - Stockport County feature as part of trio

Appearing on Sky Sports' The Overlap Fan Debate, Rooney was asked which three current EFL clubs he would like to see in the Premier League as part of his dream 20-team selection - and two of them have somewhat of a connection.

Two former clubs of Rooney's younger brother John - currently manager of Macclesfield - are selected, with Wrexham picked as a club that the former Birmingham City manager wants in the Premier League.

That, of course, could become a reality as soon as this year if the Red Dragons keep up their current form, with Phil Parkinson going for a fourth straight promotion with the North Wales outfit.

Another former club of Rooney's brother in the form of Stockport County were selected. The Hatters have never graced England's top flight even before the Premier League days pre-1992, but with Mark Stott's investment, the Greater Manchester side are gunning for promotion to the Championship, where they have not been since 2002.

One club with no links to the Rooney Family though that he'd like to see in the Premier League is Preston North End - a club that haven't played top flight football since 1961.

The Lilywhites have had two near-misses in second tier play-off finals in 2001 and 2005 under David Moyes and Billy Davies respectively, but as they've seen rivals like Burnley and Blackpool experience the riches of the Premier League, PNE are still waiting for their turn, and they are currently in a play-off battle in the Championship under Paul Heckingbottom.

Wrexham appear most likely to first achieve Wayne Rooney's hope of Premier League football

If one club out of Rooney's chosen trio are going to experience the Premier League for the first time ever first, then all signs would point towards it being Wrexham.

Backed by the riches of Hollywood duo Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds, and serious sports investors also coming on board like The Allyn Family and Apollo Sports Capital, the foundations are being built for the Red Dragons to reach the top flight - and for them to stay there for the foreseeable future.

They've become extremely marketable around the world thanks to Reynolds and Rob Mac, and with a new stand at the Racecourse Ground coming soon, more fans are going to be able to back Parkinson's side - and there's every chance they could be in the top flight before that stand opens.