Wrexham are heading into a blockbuster final day of the Championship season, and the drama couldn't be more intense. Sitting in sixth place, the Welsh side know that one slip-up could cost them a coveted play-off spot—but so could a win. It’s a three-way battle with Hull and Derby, and the permutations are dizzying. A victory might not be enough, and a defeat might still sneak them through. It’s the kind of chaos that makes Championship football unforgettable.

At the heart of this pressure cooker is veteran midfielder Matty James, who’s seen it all before. The 34-year-old was part of Leicester City’s famous 3-2 final-day win at Nottingham Forest in 2013, a result that snatched a play-off place for the Foxes. But that season ended in heartbreak, thanks to Troy Deeney’s iconic stoppage-time winner for Watford. "We snuck in and got to sixth on the last day," James recalls. "That play-off memory pops up on TV now and again—I don’t enjoy watching it." Yet, Leicester bounced back to win promotion the very next year, and James is drawing on that resilience now.

Wrexham, under Hollywood owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds and manager Phil Parkinson, are chasing an extraordinary fourth straight promotion. James, who joined in October 2024 and helped the club rise from League One last season, has been a steadying force during the run-in. That’s no small feat considering he missed two months with a broken toe suffered against Millwall in February. The injury still forces him to wear boots two sizes too big to accommodate swelling, but James isn’t letting it slow him down. "For me, it’s just get your boots on, forget about it, go out there, and perform," he says. "The adrenaline is running."

Saturday’s clash with Middlesbrough at home will be a true test of nerve. With the club’s promotion pedigree and James’s experience, Wrexham have every reason to believe they can handle the heat. As James puts it, "This football club is used to winning promotions. Hopefully, we can bring that experience on Saturday."