Fletcher leaves Wrexham 'not by choice' as ambitious team rebuilds for life in Championship

WREXHAM, Wales (AP) — Wrexham continued its squad reconstruction ahead of a season in the second-tier Championship by releasing one of its most renowned players — against his will.

Steven Fletcher, a former Premier League player who scored some crucial goals to help Wrexham earn a third straight promotion, took to social media to say he'd be leaving the ambitious Welsh club.

“It’s with a heavy heart, and not by choice, that I unfortunately have to announce my departure from what I can only describe as the most magical club I have ever played at!” Fletcher posted on Instagram.

The 38-year-old striker said he fell back in love with soccer by joining Wrexham, a club whose notoriety has rocketed since being bought by Hollywood celebrities Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and becoming the subject of a fly-on-the-wall documentary — “Welcome to Wrexham.”

“In my 22 years of stepping onto a pitch, I have never experienced anything like this club,” the former Scotland international wrote.

“To my teammates — you are family!” he added. "I have never experienced a dressing room like it in my career, and I can’t believe I don’t get to walk in there every day next season."

Fletcher finished a long message by thanking Reynolds and McElhenney for the opportunity to play for Wrexham.

Reynolds responded on Instagram, saying: "I don’t really know what a co-chairman is supposed to do or say in these moments and I don’t much care. I’m gonna miss you. I’ll miss your your leadership and wit and the way you remind everyone — including me — that this is also FUN.

“Like the first day we met, I’m here for you any time and any place. Always.”

Wrexham will need to improve the quality of its squad after rising to the second tier, a level the club hasn't played since the 1980s and just one more promotion away from the Premier League.

Another striker who might be leaving is Paul Mullin, a star player in previous promotion campaigns but who was overlooked by Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson for much of the second half of the season.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

FILE -Stoke's Steven Fletcher during the English League Cup 4th round soccer match between Aston Villa and Stoke City at Villa Park, Birmingham, England, Oct. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira), File)

The Washington Commanders are bringing aboard D.J. Williams, whose father is Super Bowl-winning quarterback Doug Williams, as their new QBs coach, a person with knowledge of the move told The Associated Press on Wednesday night.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not yet announced the hiring of the younger Williams, who was the quarterbacks coach this past season for the Atlanta Falcons.

The move was first reported by ESPN.

D.J. Williams was an offensive assistant and assistant QBs coach for Atlanta in 2024.

Before that, he spent five seasons with the New Orleans Saints as an offensive assistant.

He played quarterback in college at Grambling State, the same school where his father was a QB before being a first-round NFL draft pick. The older Williams went on to play for the Washington franchise and was the Super Bowl MVP when the club defeated the Denver Broncos 42-10 after the 1987 season.

Doug Williams is now an executive with the Commanders.

D.J. Williams replaces Tavita Pritchard, who was Washington's quarterbacks coach during Jayden Daniels' AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign in 2024 and left the Commanders during this past season after being hired by Stanford as its head coach.

David Blough, who was the assistant QBs coach under Pritchard and helped fill in after he moved on, was promoted last week to offensive coordinator. The previous OC, Kliff Kingsbury, agreed with head coach Dan Quinn two days after Washington's 5-12 season ended that it was time to part ways.

Quinn still also needs to find a new assistant QBs coach, offensive line coach and defensive coordinator. The former DC, Joe Whitt Jr., was fired after the season.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

FILE - Atlanta Falcons offensive assistant quarterbacks coach D.J. Williams warms up players before coaching against the Las Vegas Raiders in an NFL football game, Dec. 16, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jeff Lewis, File)