Injury ends Terry Darracott's Wrexham FC coaching career

TERRY DARRACOTT has called time on his career at Wrexham, saying his only regret was that he couldn’t have stayed to see the club back into the Football League.

Darracott has left his post as Dragons assistant manager due to a long-standing hip problem which restricted his movement in training.

The 59-year-old, who was brought to Wrexham just over a year ago by manager Dean Saunders, will return to his previous job as a part-time European scout for Bolton Wanderers.

“Because of a hip problem I’ve got I just felt I couldn’t do the job I was doing,” said Darracott, a former Wrexham and Everton player who plied his trade at left-back.

“Geoff (Moss, Wrexham chairman) and Dean are fully aware of the all the issues.

“I’ve had both my knees replaced during my career and for the first time in my life it’s  time I take a step aside and look after myself a bit more, so I’m going to get it sorted and go back to what I was doing before, working as a European scout at Bolton.

“I feel that’s going to be more manageable for me than being out on the training field with the players, but I’m disappointed  that’s the case.

Darracott added: “I was quite happy doing what I was doing at Bolton until Dean came to me and said ‘what about this’.

“I thought yeah, I really fancy that. I’ve got a lot of affection for Wrexham and I’ve got no regrets – except that I couldn’t stay to see out what we were trying to do. I want to wish everybody at Wrexham all the best for the future.”

Saunders said he was “disappointed” to lose the services of “a great man and a good friend”.

“I’m sad to lose him,” said the manager. “We tried to give him as long as we could to recover, but he feels he can’t go out on the training ground any more and on the pitch he’s struggling to move.

“I’m disappointed because he’s a big part of what we’re trying to do. He’s a great man and a good friend of mine.”

Meanwhile, Saunders praised the Dragons defence following Tuesday’s 0-0 draw away to Blue Square Premier title-chasers Stevenage Borough.

He said: “We defended really well. I said afterwards that we have a team now that can go and battle anywhere and we could have nicked it at the end.”

Wrexham beat The New Saints 2-1 in a friendly at Colliers Park yesterday. Simon Brown and Nathan Fairhurst scored for the Dragons after Jamie Wood gave TNS the lead.