Wrexham's Key Player Battles On in Mismatched Cleats to Fuel the Club's Promotion Charge

When Wrexham lost Matty James to injury on February 7, it appeared their season might be thrown off course.

The 34-year-old was kept out for two months with a fractured big toe, as Phil Parkinson was forced to field a makeshift midfield that helped hold things together. To their credit, Wrexham dropped only three of the next 11 games across all competitions, though they managed just three clean sheets. In the four matches James has started since returning from injury, they have already added two more.

It is no surprise that when James performs well, Wrexham tend to follow suit. He is the driving force behind their promotion push and an underappreciated figure who brings steadiness and composure to a team that has far surpassed expectations this season.

James has dealt with injuries more than most throughout his distinguished career and missed the entirety of Leicester City's remarkable Premier League title-winning campaign in 2015–2016 due to an ACL injury. There was genuine concern when the seasoned midfielder suffered his latest setback.

He was eager to return to the pitch and justify the faith Wrexham showed in him when they signed him as a free agent in October 2024 following his release by Bristol City—even if that has meant playing in borrowed boots.

Matty James Borrowing Cleats to Keep Playing

Matty James is highly selective about the football boots he prefers and has accumulated multiple pairs of Nike Phantom VNM, which were released in 2019. This gives him several options on a typical matchday—that is, when his big toe isn't swollen.

Although he now feels close to full match fitness, the physical demands of his recovery mean his toe has yet to return to its normal size. As a result, none of his beloved boots fit him, and he has had to borrow a pair from teammate Josh Windass in order to continue contributing to Wrexham's promotion push.

"You see, I normally wear Nike boots—old-school boots that I've had for quite a long time—and they're actually a size down. So I normally wear an eight; I'm probably around about an eight and a half, nine. I like them really tight, but due to breaking the big toe, it's still swollen, and I've had to try and figure it out. So Josh very kindly lent me his, which were a size 10. I played in them and now I'm managing to come down—I think I'm in nine and a half now, or nines.

"It's just part and parcel of it. Obviously, I want to be out there, I want to play, and it's about making sure that I'm as comfortable as possible. I've tried to get the Nikes on a few times, but they're just not going on—too painful! For me, it's one of those where you just get your boots on, forget about it, go out there, and play and perform—and, you know, enjoy playing again.

"My toe is still causing me a few issues, but I'm able to play on it, and it's not a problem for me when I'm out on the pitch; the adrenaline is running. I manage it through the week—I make sure that I've taken the tablets, iced it down, that kind of thing.

"We're at a point now where I need to be able to function and play. I think anything sooner than that, I wouldn't have been able to perform at the level that I want to perform at. So I think that's the key thing for me now: hopefully we've got more games to go, and I can try to squeeze into the Nikes by the end of the season!"

Phil Parkinson Hails Matty James' Role

Matty James is among the most experienced players in the Wrexham first-team squad and one of manager Phil Parkinson's most relied-upon figures.

The former Manchester United academy product is one of only two Red Dragons—alongside Ben Sheaf—to have featured every time he was included in the matchday squad this season.

His comeback has given Wrexham greater control in matches, and Parkinson feels James deserves enormous credit for the impact he has made.

"We're quite expansive in the way we set up, and we spoke to the lads going into the Stoke game about readdressing the balance," Parkinson said. "I think Matty James is key for us in that. We've really missed Matty's nous in the center of the pitch to organize people around him, and he's just so good at that.

"It's a big part of the game because the Championship can be very transitional, and if you're open, you can look vulnerable."