Wrexham signs former England defender Coady from Leicester

WREXHAM, Wales (AP) — Wrexham signed defender Conor Coady from Leicester as it reshapes its squad to cope with promotion to the second-tier Championship.

Coady brings 198 games' worth of Premier League experience and 10 appearances for the English national team. He was part of England's squad at the last World Cup in 2022 but didn't play.

“I’m over the moon. It’s a special day, I’ll be honest," the 32-year-old defender said in a club statement. “We’ve all seen what the club has done over the past few years and for me to join is really special and I can’t wait to meet the boys and get started.”

Coady arrives for an undisclosed fee from Leicester, one of Wrexham's opponents in the Championship in the upcoming season. He signed a two-year contract with an option for a further year.

The club made internationally famous by its celebrity owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and the “Welcome to Wrexham" documentary series is doing things differently after returning to the second tier for the first time since the 1980s.

As well as staging a preseason tour of Australia and New Zealand, Wrexham has parted company with the experienced Paul Mullin and Steven Fletcher, and signed players like United States international Damion Downs.

Wrexham's Championship campaign begins at Southampton on Aug. 9.

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