Wrexham have signed a Premier League midfielder who has been compared to Jack Wilshere in a deal worth a reported £5million as they prepare for life in the Championship
Wrexham have signed a new player who has been highly praised by his former team-mates and managers. The Red Dragons swooped to bring in Lewis O’Brien from Nottingham Forest on Thursday in a deal reportedly worth up to £5million.
The Welsh side fended off interest from other Championship clubs to secure the midfielder’s signature on a three-year contract, becoming their sixth summer arrival. The 26-year-old impressed on loan in the second tier with Swansea City during the second half of last season after previously spending time with Los Angeles FC in the MLS.
O’Brien said he was “absolutely buzzing” to join Wrexham after the deal was announced. Such are his talents that he was even compared to ex-England and Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere by one of his colleagues at Forest.
Defender Moussa Niakhate drew the parallels in a post on Instagram after O’Brien delivered a man-of-the-match performance in a 1-0 victory over West Ham shortly after arriving at the club in 2022. His attributes were also hailed by former Forest boss Steve Cooper.
“Lewis is a great ball carrier, he has a good engine and is great technically. He is tactically good as well,” said Cooper after O’Brien joined. “Lewis is driven to do well. I had a good conversation with him about that and it is important to us.
“We can get even more out of him, which is the exciting bit. I had a positive talk with [Ryan] Yatesy about him because they had a few good ding-dongs. There is a real mutual respect between them.”
O’Brien’s former Bradford team-mate Adam Chicksen, who now plays for Notts County, is another who has praised his strengths. Speaking to The Athletic in 2022, Chicksen said: “His attitude had a really good impact on the team.
“He was never arrogant, he was humble and he never stopped listening, even when he had established himself as an important figure. He was so good at being in the right position; he would break lines and get into dangerous areas.
“He was always on the move. He could strike a ball really, really well. He was a smart, intelligent player. His passing was so clean, so smooth. There was never any bobble. You never worried about getting a ball from him. He had a bit of everything.”
Despite his qualities, O’Brien failed to make an impact at Forest and leaves the City Ground after only featuring on 17 occasions for the club. He made 16 appearances for Swansea on loan last season after arriving during the January transfer window.
He played an important part as they secured a mid-table finish in the Championship after previously flirting with relegation. Speaking after signing for Wrexham, O’Brien said: “I’m absolutely buzzing.
“It’s been a long time coming, but to be here is great. The last couple of years has been a whirlwind for me and my family, but to sign a long-term contract and find somewhere I can call home is a great feeling.
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“After speaking to everyone here, it’s a club with a lot of ambition. I want to be part of that journey, and take Wrexham to where they want to be.”
Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson said: “I’m delighted to welcome Lewis to the club. He’s a player with a lot of experience at this level and will be a great addition to the group. We’re looking forward to working with him.”
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