'I'm from Chester so I was brought up to hate Wrexham – but now my opinion has changed'

Despite the intense football rivalry between Wrexham and their English neighbours, Chester-born former Liverpool player Danny Murphy has confessed to having a soft spot for the Welsh side

Ex-Liverpool ace Danny Murphy has confessed to having a soft spot for Wrexham, despite hailing from the birthplace of their archrivals.

The former England midfielder grew up in Chester, where as a youngster he said people were schooled in despising their Welsh neighbours. A mere 12 miles separate Chester and Wrexham, but there's a chasm of animosity dividing their football clubs.

When Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took ownership of Wrexham in February 2021, among their promises was a commitment "to always beat Chester".

The pledge remains untested since, with Wrexham soaring in League One, while Chester sit in the National League North. It's undeniable that some in Chester may look with a tinge of jealousy at Wrexham's rise through the leagues in recent times.

However, Murphy is one Chester native who has expressed joy at Wrexham's due to his personal connections, especially in light of his father - who died of lung cancer in 2006 - once residing in the Welsh city. Speaking on talkSPORT, the 48-year-old pundit also gave insight into his own football roots, including time spent with Wrexham’s youth team.

"Whether you love or loathe the model and how they've done it, it's still a great story for us watching from afar and for me personally, because I've got an affinity with Wrexham," Murphy said.

"You're brought up so that you're supposed to hate them if you're from Chester but actually, my dad lived there for 20 years before he passed. I was a kid at Wrexham football club as well, so I quite like seeing them do well.

"I was a mascot for Wrexham when Joey Jones was captain. We used to actually train on the car park when I was 12 and in the Wrexham under-13s, because we had no facilities."

National pride is at stake when Wrexham and Chester line up against each other. Striker Gary Bennett, who played for both teams during his career, perhaps summed up the rivalry best.

"You have to expect the unexpected when Chester and Wrexham meet," he told FourFourTwo magazine. The two sides last faced off in a National League clash at the Racecourse Ground back in March 2018, with Wrexham emerging victorious with a 2-0 win.

Since that encounter, the fortunes of the two clubs have diverged significantly, with Wrexham now sitting second in the third tier, while Chester find themselves fourth in the sixth tier. Under Phil Parkinson's guidance, Wrexham are pushing for promotion to the Championship, currently three points clear of their closest competitors, Wycombe Wanderers, with five matches remaining.

Their next challenge is an away game against Wigan Athletic on Saturday as they aim to clinch the second automatic promotion spot. Meanwhile, Birmingham City appear to be cruising to the title, maintaining a comfortable 14-point lead over Wrexham.

The Midlands outfit secured their promotion to the second tier following a 2-1 triumph over Peterborough United on Tuesday evening.