RICKETTS ON VERGE OF SALOP SWITCH

SAM RICKETTS missed Wrexham’s FA Cup derby draw against Newport County after the club told him to stay away with the manager on the verge of taking over at League One Shrewsbury Town.

A statement issued by the Red Dragons on Saturday morning said they felt it wasn’t “appropriate” for the 37-year-old to be at the second round clash in “view of the speculation”.

Ricketts, in his first management job, has guided the Welsh outfit into the National League’s title race.

That has caught the eye of Salop and their desire to appoint an up-and-coming manager to replace John Askey, who was sacked after just 17 games following his arrival from Macclesfield Town in the summer.

Ricketts was installed as the bookies’ favourite a fortnight ago, but he has knocked back the speculation and in the build-up to the Newport game confirmed there hadn’t been an approach.

But reports on Friday evening suggested things had changed and a deal was close before Wrexham poured petrol on the flames with their statement, which continued: “We will seek to clarify Sam’s future as Wrexham AFC manager as soon as is possible.”

Graham Barrow, Jussi Jaaskelainen and Carl Darlington were in charge of the 0-0 draw against County, managed by Mike Flynn who was

also linked with the Shrewsbury vacancy.

If Ricketts does make the switch it will be the second time in under a year Wrexham have seen their manager leave for the Football League.

Dean Keates quit in March to take up the top job at his boyhood club Walsall. The club made an interim appointment of Andy Davies before Ricketts arrived in the summer.

Ricketts went from Non-League to the Premier League as a player, having kick-started his career at Telford United before playing in English football’s top flight with Bolton Wanderers and Hull City.

Ricketts couldn’t be reached for comment when approached by The NLP yesterday.