EFL League Two 2023/24: Promoted Player to Watch – Wrexham’s Thomas O’Connor

Wrexham are back in the English Football League after 15 years, and it has not been an easy ride for the club owned by Hollywood royalty Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The Red Dragons finished top of the National League with 111 points, scoring 116 goals and conceding just 43. 

Part of this fantastic season was Irish U21 international Thomas O’Connor. O’Connor was signed from Burton Albion in January of 2022 and has since been integral to their performances.

The visualisation below shows where Thomas O’Connor ranked for some of the key metrics from last season compared to the other players who play in a similar position.

Thomas O’Connor is quite versatile in his style and can adapt to play as a centre-back or as an attacking midfielder as well, but he predominantly played as a defensive midfielder for Wrexham last season. 

As a defensive midfielder, the player’s primary responsibility is to excel at stopping opposition transitions and causing breaks in play through tackles and interceptions. 

Thomas O’Connor ranks in and around the median percentile for most defensive metrics. He needs to address his positioning, and he has to ensure he is often found at the right place at the right time.

He progresses the ball well up the pitch and is not afraid to press high and win the ball high up the pitch. He has netted four times last season, which is once again a decent number of goals from someone who plays mainly as a no.6.

Thomas O’Connor was not a regular member of the starting 11 in his first season at Wrexham but has shown impressive abilities when on the pitch. He has once again started on and off from the bench, which is likely to continue for some time, but the 24-year-old will undoubtedly get the chance to show his worth over the season.