Wrexham’s Nathan Broadhead: ‘cardiff Fans I Know Are Telling Me Not To Score – Hopefully I Do’

“I want to get northbound Wales backmost up location and hopefully 1 time I tin get them to nan Premier League,” says Wrexham’s grounds signing, Nathan Broadhead. Back astatine nan nine aft a 17-year absence, he did not miss a conflict pinch Cardiff successful that clip but nan rivals renew acquaintances successful nan Carabao Cup connected Tuesday night, pinch nan Red Dragons looking down connected nan boys from nan Welsh capital.

The enmity betwixt Wrexham and Cardiff has cooled fixed they person not faced each different since a Welsh Cup semi-final successful 2004 and past met successful nan convention successful March 2002 but a lively ambiance tin beryllium expected astatine Stōk Cae Ras successful nan conflict for a quarter-final spot. The 2 passed each different this summer, erstwhile Wrexham continued their travel up nan leagues to nan Championship, while nan Bluebirds dropped into nan 3rd tier for nan first clip successful 22 years.

Broadhead is simply a instrumentality of his hometown nine Bangor City but was brought up successful a family pinch affection for Tuesday’s opponents, including his dad. “I cognize rather a fewer Cardiff fans and there’s a batch of group who support Cardiff, and spell to watch Cardiff from Bangor,” says Broadhead, who will shut up a fewer WhatsApp groups this week. “They each opportunity nan aforesaid thing, telling maine not to score. Hopefully I do score, but I’m conscionable happy to beryllium portion of it.”

The guardant started arsenic a younker astatine Wrexham before, for illustration galore young northbound Walians, emotion compelled to caput to England to subordinate academies successful Manchester aliases Liverpool. It was Everton successful his case. The building was not successful spot astatine Wrexham earlier Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney arrived, meaning they missed retired connected generations of talent, including Harry Wilson, Neco Williams and Danny Ward.

“I wanted to do good for nan nine and besides to get nan academy and everything for illustration that backmost to wherever it was,” says Broadhead, who wants Wrexham to beryllium a hub for talent from northbound Wales. “If you get youngsters in, springiness them a chance; if large teams want them, they make money disconnected that.”

There was an connection to return connected indebtedness while Wrexham were successful nan National League but a teenage Broadhead decided he was not physically ready. It costs nan Red Dragons an first £7.5m to bring Broadhead backmost from Ipswich, pinch a imaginable further £2.5m, and goalkeeper Ward besides returned this summer, connected a free. The Broadhead woody is simply a motion of nan spending powerfulness nan nine has pinch Reynolds and McElhenney astatine nan tiller. “I didn’t deliberation I’d extremity up backmost here,” Broadhead says. “The nine is connected a trajectory and nan finance that’s been put successful is eye-catching.”

Traditionally, Wrexham’s much vicious rivalry has been pinch Chester, while Cardiff person focused attraction connected Swansea and Newport. But their meetings were not without clash and that was exacerbated successful nan 1980s erstwhile location was conflict complete which nine would big Wales internationals.

Oxford goalkeeper Jamie Cumming fails to support retired a threat changeable from Nathan Broadhead (left) arsenic Wrexham negociate only their 3rd convention triumph of nan season. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA

The Racecourse Ground was known for offering an intimidating atmosphere, helping nan nationalist squad to person a good grounds there. Ninian Park, however, was bigger and could bring successful greater revenue. That drew nan Football Association of Wales to nan Cardiff action but nan results did not lucifer those successful Wrexham, leaving galore of those extracurricular nan superior infuriated.

The 2 fanbases dress up a batch of nan hardcore Wales distant following, coming together down Wrexham’s Broadhead and Kieffer Moore, and players astatine Cardiff including nan Colwill brothers. Cardiff will return 1,200 supporters to Wrexham, filling retired nan distant end. The truth that nan crushed is 1 guidelines short, while a caller 1 is constructed down 1 goal, will return distant from nan ambiance somewhat, but those packed wrong will beryllium eager to dress up for it.

If Wrexham are benefiting from their owners’ investment, galore Cardiff supporters would opportunity their club’s predicament is down to nan ownership of Vincent Tan. They find themselves a tier beneath Wrexham for nan first clip since 2000-01. Since past they person spent 2 years successful nan Premier League.

Part of Wrexham’s world floor plan tin beryllium attributed to nan Welcome to Wrexham documentary. Its fame made Paul Mullin into an world prima but Broadhead is not concerned astir building a brand. “I’ve ne'er watched immoderate of their movies,” he says. “I conscionable came present for what I wanted. I didn’t deliberation astir that excessively much. I conscionable wanted to do well, arsenic soon arsenic I came here. That’s it, really. It was nan aforesaid erstwhile I went to Sunderland – I didn’t watch theirs. I wanted caller eyes and caller everything. I didn’t want immoderate antagonistic aliases immoderate judgment.”

Nathan Broadhead was a large signing for Wrexham successful nan summer, moving from Ipswich for an first £7.5m that could emergence to £10m. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

Broadhead is almost 200,000 Instagram followers down Mullin, who moved to Wigan connected a season-long indebtedness successful June, but doing it connected nan transportation is each that matters. After a slow commencement backmost home, Broadhead scored nan victor against Oxford connected Wednesday, only nan 3rd clip Wrexham person picked up maximum points successful 12 convention games this season. “It’s not gone arsenic good arsenic I thought,” says Broadhead. “But nan lads are trying their champion and we request to put it right. A triumph tin alteration a batch of things. Confidence is everything.”

After a 21-year wait, 2 very different versions of Wrexham and Cardiff are fresh to do conflict again. “To beryllium portion of that arsenic a Welsh lad is simply a bully feeling, and hopefully nan northbound tin beryllium connected top,” says Broadhead pinch a knowing smile.