Dean Keates: Wrexham manager in the dark over future after missing play-offs

Wrexham manager Dean Keates would like the chance to be in charge next season despite missing out on promotion.

Keates said he had not had talks with owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney over their plans for next season.

"Would I like to be given that opportunity? Yes, of course I would," said Keates of his own future.

"No one knows where we stand as a group - that's myself, the players and staff.

"There's been no communication and we don't know. What will happen over the next few days will happen.

"The owners will make a decision what they feel is right for their football club.

"But when I've got players coming into my office and asking what's happening, I can see the fear and concern in their eyes.

"I can't speak highly enough of the changing room. There's a lot of players concerned about their futures as well as staff members and they're answers that I can't give.

"There's players at the football club who have got an option in their favour to still be here next season.

"Their concern is what's going to happen because there's a togetherness in the changing room and these players who have got the option to be here want to know what's happening with the football club to go forward and if it's going to get ripped up its whether they will exercise that option, that's what they've told me."

Hollywood stars Reynolds and McElhenney took over as the club's owners in January and they offered the players a £250,000 bonus if promotion was achieved at the end of the season.

Wrexham's failure to secure a place in the play-offs and a shot at promotion means next season will be their 14th in the National League having dropped out of the Football League in 2008.

Keates is in his second spell as manager after replacing Bryan Hughes in October 2019 on a contract until the end of the 2020-21 season. Wrexham avoided avoid relegation in 2019-20 after the season was halted due to the pandemic.

"There's massive progression from when we came in last season. [There was a] complete rebuild, which we knew was going to take time," Keates added.

"But you don't miss out because of one game, you miss out over the course of the season.

"The two big games for me that stick out are Dagenham at home, when we were 2-0 up, in control of the football match but then not making the right decisions in the last four or five minutes and sloppy play.

"Down at Eastleigh we were 1-0 up, comfortable and seeing the game out and then an absolute horrendous decision by the referee to give a penalty.

"I've had it confirmed off the referee's association that it shouldn't have been a penalty. Two points would have made a difference to the league table.

"On that side it is what it is and it's a massive disappointment but massive progression."