MIKE NEWELL jumped at the chance to become assistant manager at Wrexham and he wants to add another promotion to his CV.

The 53-year-old has penned a contract at The Racecourse until the summer of 2021 as right-hand man to Graham Barrow, who was unveiled as the new Reds boss on Tuesday.

A former striker, Newell won the Premier League title with Blackburn Rovers in 1995 and scored the fastest hat-trick by an English player in the Champions League against Rosenborg.

He also had success as a manager with Luton Town and Newell, whose most recent position was as coach with Al-Shabab in Saudi Arabia, had no hesitation in accepting the offer of a position in Barrow's backroom staff.

"I am very excited," said Newell. "I got a call off Graham on Sunday morning and I think he had an inclination that he had a chance of being the manager, and I said 'yes' straight away.

"I came back from Saudia Arabia around February time and I've been out of the game since then.

"I know that Wrexham is a big club in this league and how difficult it has been for big clubs to get out of it.

"They are looking a lot closer than they have done over the last few years so it was a no-brainer to me."

Newell played alongside Barrow when the pair were at Wigan together between between 1983 and 1986.

He also had spells with the likes of Leicester City, Everton and Blackburn, scoring 119 goals in more than 500 appearances.

After his playing career came to an end, Newell managed Hartlepool United, Luton Town, where he won promotion from League One to the Championship, and Grimsby Town, and has also spent time as a first team coach at Accrington Stanley.

Newell was "elated" that his former team-mate wanted to link up with him again,

"I haven't been involved with Graham since we played together years and years ago," said Newell.

"I was 18 at the time and Graham looked after me on the pitch and I looked after him off it.

"I was elated actually that he thought of me and I couldn't get here quick enough.

"Graham obviously knows he can trust me which is very important when you are a manager, I have been there.

Wrexham are among the National League frontrunners and Newell is looking forward to playing his part in the promotion challenge.

"It is just helping Graham, helping the other people here that are running the club," said Newell.

"They look like they are in a position where they could compete for that top spot, let alone promotion, and home results have shown that this season; they are a force to be reckoned with.

"I have only been here 10 minutes but the club has got a bit of a buzz about it and you recognise when you walk into a club when there are happy dressing rooms and happy lads, and I have already recognised that here."

Newell has set his sights on helping Wrexham win promotion from the fifth tier and believes the Reds are primed for more success if they can reclaim their place in the Football League.

"I want to achieve promotion to the Football League," said Newell.

"Wrexham, in all my career, was a Football League club and my last memory was a good memory for us at Luton; I think we won the league here that day, but it wasn't a good season for Wrexham. "And ever since then it has been disappointing for them so it would be great for me to be part of a club that went back into the Football League, and then started rising again.

"I think it has got the fanbase, it has got the facilities. I have seen clubs in League Two and clubs that have had success in League Two and they are not a patch on Wrexham."

Newell hopes his experience rubs off on the Reds players.

"That doesn't count for anything, they are just memories," added Newell.

"But when you're passing stuff onto players, you would hope that they listen to you first and foremost.

"You have got experience to pass on but those things are in the past for me, I have had my career.

"It is about impressing on these players not to waste their talent and reminding them that before they know it, your career is over."