MARK CARRINGTON would be “more than happy” to see Dean Keates return to Wrexham as manager.

But the 32-year-old insists that he and his team-mates are relaxed about speculation regarding who will be the permanent successor to Bryan Hughes.

Brian Flynn, who will take charge at Solihull Moors tonight as part of a two-game caretaker role, remains in the frame after leading the Reds to victory over Ebbsfleet on Saturday.

It’s Keates though who is the 4/6 favourite to return to the hotseat he held for nearly 17 months before swapping The Racecourse for hometown club Walsall in March last year.

And Carrington, named in the National League team of the week for his display against Ebbsfleet, would welcome the 41-year-old back to the club with open arms.

“I’d be more than happy if Dean came back,” said Carrington. “I obviously know him well, played with him and was managed by him. He’s a great guy and a great manager.”

While Keates is favourite to return to his former job, there are no shortage of candidates as the bookmakers cover all bases - something which has provided light relief for the Reds players.

Asked whether the squad pay any notice to speculation, Carrington said: “We have a look and say ‘he’s been slashed’ and ‘someone has had £5 on John Barnes and he’s coming’ and ‘Sol Campbell has been spotted in the Ramada’ - there is all sorts going on.

“We have a bit of a laugh about it, that’s all you can do because it is out of our control and whatever happens, happens.”

Joking aside, Carrington knows that whoever does replace Hughes on a permanent basis will get the full backing of the Wrexham changing room.

“It’s got to be the right appointment, but who knows what the right appointment is?” said Carrington. “Whoever comes in, we’ve got a great group.

“A manager couldn’t ask for a better group to come into, there is no trouble and everyone will buy into them, back them and give them the best chance to succeed.”

That comes as little surprise with Carrington and his team-mates throwing their support behind Hughes before the board decided enough was enough.

“He’s a great guy and it just didn’t work out, did it?” said Carrington of Hughes. “He was liked by all of the players, he had all of our backing and we were disappointed to see him go.

“It had to be done in the end, but it was sad to see him go.”

Wrexham started life without Hughes with a 1-0 home win over Ebbsfleet, courtesy of Paul Rutherford’s late strike, and Carrington is eager to follow that up at Solihull this evening.

“There are so many games in this league and you play Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday and if you can get on a run it can take you wherever you want to go,” said the versatile Carrington.

“We need to make sure we back up Saturday’s win now because it’s no good winning at the weekend if you lose on a Tuesday.

“But Solihull is always a tough place to go, it’s the land of the giants and it’s not a great ground, but you’ve got to roll up your sleeves and come away with three points whatever way you can.”

Confidence is high in the Wrexham camp heading to Damson Park, but Carrington insists that is nothing new.

“The mood, even though we are where we are, hasn’t been too bad,” he said. “The results obviously haven’t been great, but the mood in the camp hasn’t really changed because we know what a good team we are.

“Fans will probably be saying ‘what’s he talking about?’ But I genuinely don’t think we’ve been too far off and it’s been fine margins here and there.”