Wrexham AFC should make Steven Fletcher call despite Sam Smith, Jay Rodriguez developments | OneFootball

Scottish super sub could be key to Wrexham's quest for the Premier League

At 37 and with two new strikers entering the fold this winter, Steven Fletcher’s future at Wrexham AFC has been put into question.

The club have put a lot of trust and money into Sam Smith and Jay Rodriguez to solve their goalscoring woes. However, the club shouldn’t overlook Fletcher’s value to this group for next season.

Earlier this season, Ryan Barnett’s contract in North Wales was extended until 2027, which should now make the former Marseille striker the club’s top priority to re-sign in the summer.

Steven Fletcher’s current Wrexham contract wasn't a priority at one point

Last June, Wrexham decided Fletcher’s experience would come in handy for a club preparing to play their first League One campaign in 20 years.

Sunderland’s top goalscorer during their 2012-23 Premier League campaign (11) netted eight times in 34 League Two appearances last season to help the Red Dragons finish as runners-up.

Until late December, extending Fletcher’s deal was something many wouldn’t have expected, especially seeing as he turns 38 in March.

However, the former Premier League Play of the Month has proven that age is merely a number.

Steven Fletcher’s value at Wrexham

The addition of Sam Smith to Phil Parkinson’s setup is undoubtedly a move to add a proven goalscorer in the present and future.

The Manchester native came to the Red Dragons near the end of the winter window, having scored 11 goals domestically for Reading this season, tied for the fourth-most in League One.

When you compare Fletcher to Rodriguez, though, and factor in the fact that Rodriguez isn’t much younger, you can argue that the Scotsman may be needed just as much as the new Burnley and Reading recruits.

Rodriguez is 35 and had two goals in the Championship this season in 742 minutes played before coming to Wrexham.

Fletcher’s played fewer minutes in League One this season for Wrexham (676) and is second in the team for goals scored with six, proving to be particularly clinical. Many might also forget that, like Rodriguez, Fletcher’s played in some of the top club competitions in the world.

The BBC reported that to acquire Smith, Wrexham broke the £1m transfer barrier for the first time in club history, while The Mirror estimates the Red Dragons are paying Rodriguez around £15K per week.

It's a significant outlay on both players for a League One side and is more in-line with what a Championship club would do mid-season. Fletcher's importance to what Parkinson's side are doing this season cannot be overlooked, though, and the feeling should be that Smith and Rodriguez are now on the books to support what's currently at Wrexham rather than replace it.

Steven Fletcher’s timely goals for Wrexham

It isn’t just because of his big-game experience that extending Fletcher should be a priority for Wrexham this summer.

One could argue that without the Shrewsbury-born forward, this team wouldn’t be in contention for a third successive promotion, currently sitting third, four points back of an automatic place in the Championship.

Four of Fletcher’s six goals domestically this season have been match-winners for the Red Dragons, enabling them to pick up an additional eight points as a result. For now, those points gained are the difference between a promotional play-off berth and a spot outside that zone in seventh, a place currently occupied by Leyton Orient.

Fletcher’s knack for timely goals is in line with what he displayed last season when three of his eight tallies in League Two enabled Wrexham to earn maximum points. At the end of the season, 10 points separated them from MK Dons, who missed an automatic promotion, so those nine points earned were massive.

Half of the goals scored by the former Scottish League Cup winner with the Red Dragons in either League One or Two (7/14) have come in the 80th minute or later.

Wrexham want to be in the Premier League as soon as possible, and Fletcher’s knack for dramatic goals would surely help them achieve that dream sooner rather than later. Whilst he's still doing the business, every effort should be made to retain him, despite Parkinson's squad evolving once more.