THEO VASSELL believes his game will continue to improve at Wrexham - and manager Dean Keates says he has the perfect teacher in Shaun Pearson.

The 23-year-old centre-back has penned a one-year deal with the Reds after spending the 2019-20 campaign with troubled Macclesfield Town.

Having also played for Port Vale, Gateshead and Chester, Vassell has already made more than 100 appearances during his career, but he believes he can only continue to get better.

“I work hard and will give it my all every game,” said Vassell.

“I like to get the ball down and play football when I can, I am quick and strong.

“I am still young and always want to improve.

"Every time is a new beginning. I know what I need to do and I back myself to do it again.

"I just want to play football now with Wrexham, I haven't played for ages. It has been very long."

Vassell wants to help Wrexham, who endured a woeful 2019-20 campaign and narrowly avoided relegation, battle it out at the right end of the table when the Reds kick-off a 13th season in non-league on October 3.

"Promotion is what I am thinking, 100 per cent," said Vassell. "This could be the year.

"There is always a bright future ahead for everything so you have got to look on the positive side and go from there."

Keates feels Vassell will continue to develop at Wrexham, especially having skipper Shaun Pearson as his mentor and potential centre-back partner.

"You have got somebody young with different attributes to Shaun," said Keates, who is still looking to sign another centre-back.

"Theo can learn off Shaun about the art of defending and what Shaun's strengths are.

"Shaun will help him develop and we will help him develop as a club.

"He is a great age for us and different to what we have got in the back four."

Vassell left Macclesfield in January and was set to be re-united with his former Silkmen manager Sol Campbell at Southend United but the deal was unable to be completed because the Shrimpers were hit with a transfer embargo.

Keates believes Vassell, who last played in November, will be looking forward to making up for lost time.

"I am absolutely delighted to get Theo in," said Keates. "He is something I have been chipping away at.

"Theo was unfortunate, not playing because of the pandemic and getting caught up in the situation before that where an embargo was put on Southend so he lost game-time there, and the situation he went through at Macclesfield.

"He has not played as much as he wanted to - no-one has played much in the last five months - but he is a class defender and he is somebody I am looking forward to working with, and he will be great for the football club going forward.

"He is desperate to get back playing so we will get him back on the pitch as soon as we can and get him up to scratch.

"We have got five weeks left in pre-season so all being well he will be in prime condition ready to start the first game of the season."