Former Hibs star savours Wrexham promotion party as he replaces ex Easter Road ace in English Championship

A former Hibs player is heading back to the English Championship - as he replaces another in the second tier.

Steven Fletcher has been heralded as a key figure at Wrexham in the twilight of his career. He came off the bench as the Red Dragons secured their third promotion on the bounce in a 3-0 success against Charlton to book their place in the league above for next season.

Their party comes at the expense of another Welsh side, Cardiff City, who have been relegated to League One. Will Fish made the move to the Bluebirds last summer from Manchester United after two loans at Hibs and started in a 0-0 draw with West Brom that sealed their fate.

Fletcher’s Wrexham future

When it comes to the former striker who scored 52 times in 189 outings for Hibs at the start of his career, a decision he didn’t think he’d have now needs made on whether he continues his playing days or not. Fletcher told the club website this month: “ For the Club to be in the Championship after where they have been just three years ago would be incredible. Despite that, we are taking each day and each game as it comes - we're not thinking we're already there or already done it. We know what we have to do. The Manager sets us out daily for the goals that we want to achieve.

“I thought it was just gonna be nine months and I'd be back home, retired and with my feet on the sofa and watching football. It's coming up to two years now and obviously I still feel like I can carry on - I don't really know what I'm gonna do at the end of the season, but I didn't expect it to go this well, and hopefully it can continue.

“In the summer I felt that I still had a little bit more to give. The coaching staff agreed with me, and we came to thinking that I could stay on for another year. I'm enjoying it. I think when you're enjoying something so much and you still feel like you're making an impact when you're playing, I don't see why you would want to stop.”

Cardiff City relegation

Fish worked his way into the Bluebirds XI as they made a break for an escape from relegation and has played 19 times in a sobering campaign for a side who were in the Premier League in the not so distant past.

Interim boss Aaron Ramsey said: "I think if the right structures are in place with coaching staff and things, these players will give you everything. If they can do that and give them the opportunities they deserve, then of course they're more than capable of coming straight back up. There's a lot of quality in that team. They should be competing towards the top end of this league, never mind League One. Things are a little different to what I've experienced at other clubs. Normally you do have a head of football or a sporting director, things like that, who are overseeing everything, day-to-day operations, and they are aligned with the club.

"But the biggest thing for me is making sure the right coaching staff is there, because they drive the right habits and create a culture. So that's the most important thing, making the right decision in that and trusting the right person with that to bring in the right people around them, who has the team's best interest at heart.

"As long as that structure is OK you can get away with a lot of other things and you can give these players an opportunity. At the end of the day, everyone has to look at themselves in the mirror and we have to be big enough to accept that. It's so, so important, because this club has got so much potential, it's just about getting that right and it's about responding to this and getting back quickly."