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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Richard Fay

Manchester United to face Wrexham in San Diego pre-season friendly

Manchester United will face Wrexham as part of their pre-season tour of the United states this summer.

United are set to cross the pond this summer for the first time since 2018, having toured Thailand and Australia during Erik ten Hag's first pre-season last year. The Reds have toured the US eight times in the last 20 years and have a strong American fanbase, while the club believe it is an ideal climate to train players. United will play Wrexham in San Diego on July 25.

"This will be the first time the team has visited San Diego, and we are looking forward to playing in front of our passionate US fans at the Snapdragon Stadium," said John Murtough, United's football director. "Pre-season tours are always a great occasion to give opportunities for our most promising young academy players to gain valuable experience in the first team environment, and this match against Wrexham AFC is a great example of that.

"Manchester United has a history of nurturing and promoting youth and this is a chance for not only Erik but also our US supporters to assess the homegrown talent that is developing within our academy, and hopefully to be able to say, 'I saw him here first,' if some of those players go on to establish themselves as first team regulars."

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said: "We're looking forward to being able to play in the United States for the first time in the club's history. The match against Manchester United is sure to be a memorable occasion at Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego.

"The tour will be an excellent opportunity for us to prepare for the 2023-24 season, and the match against Manchester United will be a competitive fixture and a good test for us as we look ahead to the new campaign.

"We enjoy welcoming supporters from the US to the Racecourse Ground, and we're looking forward to being able to play in front of some of these new fans on American soil in the summer."

Wrexham have been the subject of huge media attention since Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over the club in 2021, thanks in part to a Disney+ documentary following their time in charge.

United last toured the States during Jose Mourinho's final pre-season in 2018 when they played in Phoenix, Santa Clara, LA, Michigan and Miami. The Portuguese manager infamously complained about 'baseball referees' after United's were thrashed 4-1 by Liverpool.

The club had been planning to tour American in 2020 but were unable to due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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