STEVE WEAVER believes Sam Ricketts would be an excellent appointment as Wrexham manager.

Former Wales international Ricketts, aged 36, has been heavily linked with the vacant position at The Racecourse, with the board of directors set to announce the new boss by the end of the week.

Ricketts was a vastly experienced defender who played for the likes of Oxford United, Swansea City, Hull City, Bolton Wanderers, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Coventry City, as well as winning 52 caps for his country, before hanging up his boots in November 2016 because of a knee injury.

It was while at Wolves that former Wrexham assistant boss Weaver, who was an academy and development coach with the Molineux Stadium outfit, came across Ricketts.

Weaver felt Ricketts, who currently coaches in the youth set-up at Wolves, was a manager in the making.

“Sam was always very much a leader on and off the pitch,” said Weaver. “He was that sort of lad and I do see him as a manager.

“He put a lot of thought into the game. You could always talk to him about the game, he was very mature and showed a lot of interest.

“He was a very good lad. He was a hard worker, diligent and meticulous, and it would not surprise me if he went into management and he was a success at that.”

Craig Harrison, who worked with Reds’ coach Carl Darlington at The New Saints, another former Welsh international Craig Bellamy and current Solihull Moors manager Mark Yates are among the names linked with the Wrexham hotseat.

Despite leading Macclesfield Town to the National League title, John Askey, who missed out on the Reds job prior to Dean Keates’ appointment, is also in the frame.

Ricketts has emerged as a surprise contender and although he lacks managerial experience, Weaver says he will have benefited from being around some household names in his career.

“When I finished at Wolves, it looked like Sam was getting ready for the next stage of his career,” said Weaver.

“He has been around a lot of good managers so it would not surprise me if he was the one.”

Weaver does not think Ricketts’ age is a stumbling block.

“It is a young man’s sport,” said Weaver. “Brian Flynn was about his age when he was named as Wrexham manager and he did okay.

“Sam is also a Welshman, that always helps, and he was proud of that.”

Wrexham are looking for a new manager after Keates left to take over at hometown club Walsall in March.

His assistant Andy Davies was appointed boss until the end of the season but Wrexham only won one of their final nine games and the promotion challenge fizzled out.

Weaver, who also worked at Huddersfield Town before becoming academy manager at Norwich City in September, is disappointed to see his former club preparing for an 11th season in non-league.

“Wrexham’s are the first result I always look for on a Saturday,” added Weaver.

“I don’t get to many games now I am at Norwich like I did when I was at Wolves and Huddersfield because of the distance, but it seems that Dean left at the wrong time.

“The timing was not great but it was a chance to manage in League One and you have to take those opportunities when you can.

“It is disappointing for everyone that Wrexham missed out. They have been in that division a long time but they will rise again.”