SAM RICKETTS wants to turn “potential into reality” to give Wrexham supporters the success they deserve in 2018-19.

Former Wales international Ricketts, who has taken up his first management role at The Racecourse, saluted the hundreds of Reds fans who travelled out to the Algarve for last week’s pre-season tour.

A well-attended open training session was followed by Wednesday’s friendly against Portuguese third tier outfit Louletano DC at the impressive Estadio Algarve which attracted another healthy following.

The volume of fans that headed out to Vilamoura was not lost on Ricketts, his staff or the players, and although promotion is not a foregone conclusion, the Reds’ boss will be striving to realise the promotion dream when the new National League season kicks-off.

“It is brilliant, it is what the club is,” said Ricketts. “It is why there is so much potential at the club. It is up to us now to turn potential into reality, that takes a lot of hard work and it takes time as well.

“This is why the club attracted to me in the first case because of this fanbase. Talking to players now who have signed here this summer, I said to them ‘you didn’t have this at your last club’ and they are laughing, and said ‘no’. But seriously, they didn’t.”

Wrexham are preparing for an 11th season in non-league and while getting out of the fifth tier does not get any easier, Ricketts insists everyone at the club will be doing their utmost to pull it off.

“There is no divine right to be successful and Wrexham fans know that,” said Ricketts.

“They are probably the best case to know that, 11 years they have been at this level for a reason.

“They know there is no divine right to be at any level in football so now it is down to myself and staff – the players are the main ones – to make sure we do everything we can to give these fans success.”

Ricketts believes Wrexham would survive comfortably in the Football League and pointed to near rivals Shrewsbury, who were beaten in last season’s League One final, as an example of what can be achieved.

“This is why the club does have so much potential,” said Ricketts. “The club has the fanbase to survive in the Football League very easy. League Two and League One very easy, and then you see what happens.

“You saw how well Shrewsbury did last season and on a fanbase which I think ours is bigger. It just shows what is there now.

“Listen, it is going to take a lot of hard work and detail and everything to achieve success but that is what we are here for.

“We have got really good staff in, really good quality players, now it is trying to bring it all together over the course of what will be a very long season.”

Newly appointed assistant boss Graham Barrow, who has a wealth of experience as player, coach and manager, was taken aback by the level of support in Portugal.

“Every pre-season I have been on, and I have obviously been on a lot – I have probably done about 35, nearly 40 pre-seasons - I have never seen scenes like this,” said Barrow.

“That is after winning FA Cups and stuff like that, and going to Spain, La Manga, you name it.

“Being here with Wrexham, I have never seen people so passionate and wanting to be around the club as much as this so it is absolutely brilliant.”

Wrexham return to pre-season action against Craig Harrison’s Bangor City at Nantporth tomorrow night.