Credit - WrexhamAFC.co.uk
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney usually take the headlines, but manager Phil Parkinson has been instrumental to Wrexham’s remarkable rise. Joining the club in 2021, the EFL veteran has helped steer the Red Dragons from the National League to the Championship, achieving three consecutive promotions in the process.
Despite his success, Parkinson remains a quiet and private individual. Many fans know him from the Welcome to Wrexham documentary but are less familiar with the man behind the touchline. Here is everything you need to know about the Wrexham manager, from his family life to his career statistics.
How old is Phil Parkinson and where was he born?
Philip John Parkinson was born on 1 December 1967, making him 57 years old at the time of writing. He is English, having been born in Chorley, Lancashire.
Parkinson grew up in Chorley until the age of ten, when he moved with his parents and two siblings to Stockton-on-Tees. He attended Our Lady and St Bede RC School in the area.
| Phil Parkinson quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Philip John Parkinson |
| Date of birth | 1 December 1967 |
| Age | 57 |
| Birthplace | Chorley, Lancashire, England |
| Nationality | English |
| Height | 1.83m (6ft) |
| Position (as player) | Central midfielder |
| Current club | Wrexham AFC (Manager) |
Who is Phil Parkinson’s wife and does he have children?
Phil Parkinson has been married to his wife Charlotte for a number of years. The couple have three children together, though Parkinson prefers to keep their names private.
His son George works alongside him at Wrexham as a performance analyst, continuing the family’s involvement in football. Speaking after his 1,000th managerial game in January 2025, Parkinson reflected on the role his family has played during his career.
“You need a great family behind you as a manager and a good wife who understands the demands of the job and I’ve certainly got that,” Parkinson said.
Away from football, Parkinson enjoys walking his dog and going for pub lunches with his wife. His parents, Jim Parkinson (a retired transport engineer) and Marjorie Parkinson (a retired care assistant), have been supportive throughout his career. He also has a brother named Simon who lives in Scotland and a sister named Debra who lives in Yarm.
What degree does Phil Parkinson have?
Parkinson acquired a Social Science degree early into his career as a manager. This educational background sets him apart from many of his peers in football management and reflects his commitment to developing skills beyond the pitch.
Who did Phil Parkinson play for?
Before becoming a manager, Parkinson enjoyed an 18-year playing career as a central midfielder. He began as a trainee at Southampton before signing for Third Division side Bury for £12,000 in March 1988, making his Football League debut shortly after against Brentford.
Embed from Getty ImagesParkinson made 145 league appearances for Bury and was part of the squad that reached the play-off semi-finals in both 1989/90 and 1990/91, losing to Tranmere Rovers and local rivals Bolton Wanderers respectively. Following Bury’s relegation in 1991/92, he was sold to Reading for £50,000 in July 1992.
His longest spell came at Reading, where he spent 11 seasons and made over 360 appearances. At the Royals, he was named Player of the Year for two consecutive seasons in 1997-98 and 1998-99. He was also a key member of Reading’s 1993-94 Football League Second Division championship-winning team and captained them to promotion in 2001-02.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn a 2005 poll to compile Reading’s best-ever XI, Parkinson was voted the best central midfielder with 60.3% of the vote. He became a cult figure at the club, making over 400 appearances and earning a testimonial match in 2002.
| Years | Club | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-1988 | Southampton | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-1992 | Bury | 145 | 5 |
| 1992-2003 | Reading | 361 | 20 |
| Total | 506 | 25 | |
Phil Parkinson’s star-studded testimonial
After more than 400 appearances for Reading, chairman John Madejski granted Parkinson a testimonial following pressure from fans. The match took place on 13 May 2002 at the Madejski Stadium, drawing a crowd of 20,000.
The event featured a pre-match celebrity five-a-side game that included snooker player Steve Davis and Paul Gascoigne’s close friend Jimmy “Five Bellies” Gardner, along with Reading legends Trevor Senior and Martin Hicks.
The main event saw a Reading XI, featuring former players such as Shaka Hislop, Dylan Kerr and Michael Gilkes, take on an ex-England XI. The England side was managed by John Gorman (former Reading assistant boss) and captained by Stuart Pearce, with the squad boasting the likes of Paul Gascoigne, John Barnes, Chris Waddle, Glenn Hoddle and Dennis Wise.
“Having Glenn Hoddle and John Gorman on board has been a great help to get players to play,” Parkinson said at the time. “Stuart Pearce I know from my coaching courses and I am delighted he will captain the side.”
What teams has Phil Parkinson coached?
Following his retirement as a player in 2003, Parkinson moved straight into management with Colchester United. He has since managed seven clubs across more than two decades, achieving promotion six times throughout his career.
Parkinson is the only manager to take an English fourth-tier club to the final of a major cup competition at Wembley Stadium, leading Bradford City to the 2013 League Cup final. During that remarkable run, Bradford beat Arsenal on penalties and defeated Aston Villa on aggregate before losing 5-0 to Swansea City in the final.
At Bradford, he also masterminded a famous 4-2 FA Cup victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in 2015, coming from 2-0 down. Robbie Fowler called it the “greatest FA Cup upset of all time”. Parkinson described the victory as “surreal”, while midfielder Billy Knott called it the greatest moment of his career.
His time at Hull City in 2006 was less successful. Parkinson later described it as “the biggest disappointment” of his career. “It was a difficult squad to take over,” he reflected. “The club had just stayed up the year before and there was a bit of second-season syndrome in the Championship. Looking back I’d probably do one or two things differently.”
| Years | Club | Notable achievement |
|---|---|---|
| 2003-2006 | Colchester United | Promotion to Championship (2006) |
| 2006 | Hull City | – |
| 2008-2011 | Charlton Athletic | – |
| 2011-2016 | Bradford City | League Cup final (2013), Promotion to League One (2013) |
| 2016-2019 | Bolton Wanderers | Promotion to Championship (2017) |
| 2019-2020 | Sunderland | – |
| 2021-present | Wrexham | Three consecutive promotions (2023, 2024, 2025) |
How Phil Parkinson joined Wrexham
When Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney appointed Phil Parkinson in July 2021, they beat off competition from Championship club West Bromwich Albion, who were also interested in hiring the experienced manager.
Humphrey Ker, Wrexham’s executive director, later revealed the club used their “financial clout” to secure Parkinson’s services. “At the time I think they were enquiring about him for the West Bromwich Albion job,” Ker said on the High Performance podcast. “We persuaded him… the financial clout of being able to offer you a rolling contract, so you’re always one year out from the end of your contract.”
Parkinson’s assistant Steve Parkin was initially unsure about the move. “My initial reaction had been, ‘Why would a manager of his stature drop to the National League?'” Parkin admitted. “But he does have an excellent CV and other clubs higher up will have been interested. Phil is really good at reading people. From the start, he had a good feeling about Wrexham. That swayed me.”
Unlike most managers in the top tiers of English football, Parkinson has never been given a fixed-term deal at Wrexham. Shaun Harvey confirmed in 2024 that Parkinson remains on the same rolling contract he signed when first appointed: “Phil’s contracted approach hasn’t changed since the day he arrived. We made a commitment to Phil to get him to come to the club and that commitment still remains in place today.”
Phil Parkinson in Welcome to Wrexham
Phil Parkinson has become an unexpected star of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary, with his passionate half-time team talks becoming must-watch television. His ‘enthusiasm’ – a euphemism viewers have adopted for his liberal use of expletives during dressing room speeches – has made him a fan favourite across the globe.
“You forget the cameras are there because our job is to concentrate on what we have to do,” Parkinson said. “It took a few weeks at first and it was a little bit strange, but we’re used to having them around now. We’ve got a good relationship with the guys who are doing the filming. There has to be an element of trust in place, because we’ve got to work together to help tell the story.”
The documentary has made Parkinson an unlikely celebrity in the United States. He admits he never anticipated becoming a minor star in America while managing a Welsh club in his mid-50s. “It wasn’t until we went on the first US tour that we really realised how much the story had captured people’s attention over there,” he explained. “The following we had was amazing, you almost had to be there to believe it.”
One particularly memorable episode, titled ‘Sack the Gaffer’, documented discussions between Reynolds and McElhenney about potentially firing Parkinson after a difficult start to the 2021/22 season. It highlighted just how close Parkinson came to losing his job before eventually turning the club’s fortunes around.
One of his most celebrated team talks came during the 2023 FA Cup run against Sheffield United. At half-time, with Wrexham a goal down and having had two players sent off, Parkinson delivered an impassioned speech: “Listen, you’ve been f***ing brilliant. I mean it, you’ve been f***ing brilliant. Two players off, a goal down, this is a great test for us because this is what today’s all about.”
Phil Parkinson managerial stats
Parkinson is one of the most decorated managers in EFL history, having managed over 1,000 games during his 20-plus year managerial career. On 4 January 2025, he coached his 1,000th game as Wrexham beat Peterborough United 1-0.
His time at Wrexham has been particularly impressive. The Red Dragons finished the 2024-25 season in second place with 92 points, setting a club record for points in the EFL. His three successive promotions with Wrexham marked a first in the upper divisions of both English and Welsh football.
| Club | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colchester United | 187 | 74 | 52 | 61 | 39.6% |
| Hull City | 24 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 20.8% |
| Charlton Athletic | 114 | 41 | 34 | 39 | 36.0% |
| Bradford City | 274 | 104 | 74 | 96 | 38.0% |
| Bolton Wanderers | 157 | 52 | 36 | 69 | 33.1% |
| Sunderland | 48 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 35.4% |
| Wrexham | 224* | 131* | 48* | 45* | 58.5%* |
*Stats as of September 2025 via Soccerbase
What is Phil Parkinson’s salary at Wrexham?
Parkinson’s exact salary at Wrexham is not publicly confirmed. Various reports have suggested figures ranging from around £200,000 ($250,000) per year to significantly higher amounts, but Parkinson himself has dismissed much of the speculation about wages at the club as “laughable” and “overinflated”.
Speaking to Leader Live in 2025, Parkinson said: “People speculate about what we have paid for players and a lot of it is so overinflated that it is almost laughable at times. Going back a couple of years when people used to quote what we were paying people, quite often it was way off the mark.”
What is clear is that Wrexham’s overall wage bill has increased significantly under Reynolds and McElhenney’s ownership. The club’s accounts for the 2023-24 season revealed a wage bill of £11 million ($14.66 million), with reports suggesting this could quadruple following promotion to the Championship.
What is Phil Parkinson’s net worth?
Parkinson’s net worth is estimated to be between £4 million and £8 million ($5 million to $10 million), according to various sources. This figure reflects his earnings from an 18-year playing career and over two decades in management across multiple clubs.
However, these figures are speculative as Parkinson keeps his financial affairs private.
Phil Parkinson honours and awards
Throughout his career, Parkinson has accumulated an impressive list of honours and individual awards.
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| Reading FC Player of the Year | 1997-98, 1998-99 |
| LMA Special Merit Award | 2013 |
| EFL Outstanding Managerial Achievement | 2013 |
| LMA FA Cup Manager of the Year | 2015 |
| National League Manager of the Season | 2022-23 |
| EFL League One Manager of the Month | Multiple (Aug 2024, Mar 2025 most recent) |
| National League Manager of the Month | Mar 2022, Sep 2022, Jan 2023 |
Is Phil Parkinson the same person as the Altrincham manager?
No. There is a different Phil Parkinson who managed Altrincham in the National League until October 2025. That Phil Parkinson was born in 1981 and had an eight-year spell at Altrincham, guiding them from the Northern Premier League to the National League before being sacked in October 2025.
The Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson was born in 1967 and has no connection to Altrincham FC.
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