Jay Rodriguez and Sam Smith speak for the first time on signing for Wrexham as the January transfer window comes to a close.
Smith, 26, has transferred from fellow League One side Reading for an undisclosed amount, believed to have set a club record by surpassing the £1 million mark for the first time in the club’s history.
Rodriguez, 35, has also signed for an undisclosed fee, arriving from Championship team Burnley, with his contract extending until the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.
Welcome to Wrexham, Sam Smith 🖊️
🔴⚪ #WxmAFC
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) January 31, 2025
See you tomorrow, Sam 👊
🔴⚪️ #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/99gZJA0RcG
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) January 31, 2025
SAM SMITH ANNOUNCEMENT:
Wrexham AFC are delighted to announce the signing of Sam Smith from Reading for an undisclosed transfer fee.
The 26-year-old joins the Red Dragons on a three-and-a-half-year deal, with the option of an additional year.
Smith arrives in North Wales from Reading after scoring 11 goals this season for the Royals in Sky Bet League One.
On signing for the Club, Smith said: “It feels amazing to join the Club and I’m happy that the deal is over the line.
“It was an unbelievable experience to play against the Club at the STōK Cae Ras and the atmosphere really stuck with me.
“I’m excited to be a part of the journey now and I want to try and help the Club achieve its ambitions.”
Smith signed his first professional contract with Reading in 2016, having also spent time in Manchester United’s academy.
He enjoyed several loan spells while in his first loan spell with the Royals, including winning promotion with Cheltenham in 2021, before signing for Cambridge United in 2021 – scoring 35 goals in 109 games for the U’s.
He re-signed for Reading in 2023 and has since scored 27 goals in 63 games across the last season-and-a-half, ahead of his move to Wrexham.
On his signing, manager Phil Parkinson said: “Sam is a player we’ve been pursuing for a while. He’s a striker who’s done really well over the last few seasons and he’s at a great age.
“He’s a fantastic addition to the squad.”
JAY RODRIGUEZ ANNOUNCEMENT:
Wrexham AFC are delighted to announce the signing of former England and Premier League striker Jay Rodriguez from Burnley for an undisclosed fee.
The 35-year-old joins the Club on a deal until the end of the 2025/26 season.
Rodriguez arrives with experience at the highest level of the professional game, playing more than 250 Premier League games and earning an England cap in 2013.
On signing for the Club, the striker said: “I’m made up to join the Club. I can’t wait to get out on the training pitch and meet everyone.
“I hope I can use my experience to help every single player in the squad and gain something from the group as well.
“To join the story that has evolved at Wrexham with clear targets is exciting for me.”
Rodriguez started his career with Burnley, helping them to win Premier League promotion in 2009. He was Burnley’s Player of the Year in 2011 and named in the PFA Team of the Year the following season before moving to Southampton in 2012.
He was the Saints’ top scorer with 15 Premier League goals in 2013/14 – the same season he made his England debut against Chile at Wembley.
The Burnley-born striker also played for West Brom in the Premier League – alongside current Wrexham first-team captain James McClean – before returning to Turf Moor for his second spell with the Clarets in 2019.
He won promotion to the Premier League again in 2023 and arrives at Wrexham having made more than 550 appearances across his career, scoring 148 goals.
On his signing, manager Phil Parkinson said: “I’m delighted to welcome Jay Rodriguez to the Club. He’s an experienced striker with real quality and we’re looking forward to working with him.”
Burnley say: The Clarets’ Legend made more than 300 appearances over two spells for the Clarets and leaves having scored 76 goals.
After making the decision to leave, he paid this tribute to his boyhood club: “Playing for the town I was born and brought up in was always my dream. To have the honour of doing that over 300 times has been something else.
“I have loved every minute of my time at Burnley and this has been a tough decision for me to make, but there will forever be a special place in my heart for the football club and the town I have always called home.”
Head Coach Scott Parker added: “Jay is the ultimate professional and has given me and this club absolutely everything.
“He is someone everyone at Burnley Football Club is extremely proud of and we wish him all the very best at Wrexham. It goes without saying, Jay will always be more than welcome at Turf Moor.”
Twitter users reacted as Jay Rodriguez and Sam Smith speak for the first time on signing for Wrexham…
@GarethPW: Sad to see JJ go but it’s the right call all round. He’s too good to be sat on his arse watching games and it freed up a place in our squad for a striker. Nothing but well wishes from me. Hopefully he can make sure Burton finish above the Worzels. I asked for #wxmafc to improve on Palmer if they wanted to go up. We have. Just need a defence of Cleworth, Evans and Brunt and a midfield of Rathbone, Dobson and Lee now.
@AdrianC71: Sam Smith & Jay Rodriguez two quality signings today for the reds. Let’s get @Wrexham_AFC back to winnings ways tomorrow. The town. #WxmAFC
@BSturgess8: I’d love Wycombe to beat them to automatic promotion 🙏🏻. Ridiculous signing in league 1
@caleb_pumford: Building a team of Barclays men. I like.
@edward_w97: Chasm between the big hitters and small fry of League One is the biggest I’ve ever seen it. Some clubs having to rely on loans to improve squads. Meanwhile at the top end, Wrexham can make a brand new strikeforce in 1 day with L1’s 4th top scorer and a veteran Jay Rodriguez…
@TomSleeman11:
Jack Marriott
Steven Fletcher
Mo Faal
Ryan Longman
Paul Mullin
Ollie Palmer
Sam Smith
Jay Rodriguez
That’s just a little bit mad, isn’t it.
@1875will_: I wonder if you’ll ever sign a striker below the age of 30
@oliverbotts: There’s still hope for my grandad
@BaileyVickerage: Mo Faal signed at the end of the last window for a reported 500k. 5 months later he’s now 8th choice striker 🤣🤷🏼♂️
@NathanielOUFC: If Wrexham don’t get promoted now, there needs to be a separate documentary about one of the greatest fuck ups of all time.
@S_GillettCole: I know he’s getting on a bit now but that’s some signing
@ReeceDSport: 15k man 😭 not Wrexham specific but this league is just tiring. A manager of a team in our league was saying about how he said he felt sorry for one of his players who was on X amount of money. That player earned more than our top earner 😭 And it’s not a team you’d guess
@BFCHarryy: Don’t get me wrong he’s an absolute legend but this is the best move for us we can’t have players because of sentimental value, he’s about 4 years past it now and we couldn’t keep brining him on in games it was like having ten men.
@Gee_SK: When you’re playing manager mode and the game starts making random transfers after 6 seasons.
@Bottman94: Look at me I’m wrexham I have Deadpool in charge and sign 10 strikers a day
@_JackRFC_: Hate the way football works
@Leightonjj_: takes the absolute piss hahahahah
@MathewFletch28: Wow what a signing for @Wrexham_AFC. More like this and get rid of players who are below the level of play needed for a top end league 1 club or higher
@ClayLaSoul: Man, Wrexham has so many strikers that you’d think there was a work stoppage.
@BenBarnigoat: If they don’t go up it will be hilarious
@FreddieM_ctfc: What a fairytale if they go up again. The underdog story continues!
@YourDailyDOHs: The first time I went to Old Trafford as an adult to watch a United game, he scored the only goal in a 1-0 win for West Brom – a loss for United that meant Man City won the league while I sat in Old Trafford 😂 A name that will forever haunt me🔫

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