FANS have high expectations and Wrexham are big favourites with bookmakers for the National League title but Jordan Davies isn't fazed because the midfielder knows automatic promotion is the only target.

A bigger first-team budget following the high-profile takeover by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney means there is even more pressure to deliver a long overdue promotion for success-started supporters who last saw their side playing in the Football League in 2008.

Davies, who hails from Coedpoeth, won't shirk away from the fact that finishing top of the National League this season is the only option at The Racecourse.

"When you come into this club now, you know it is win the league or nothing," said the 23-year-old.

"You embrace that from the very start and all the new signings understand that very quickly, that we are here to win the league and nothing else."

Former academy graduate Davies returned to his hometown club in the summer of 2020 after leaving Premier League side Brighton.

Fast forward two years and those already high expectations have gone up a notch but it is something that Davies embraces.

"When I first signed we were probably quite far off winning the league, or being favourites for the league," said Davies.

"Now we are favourites for the league and there is an expectation but we have got to embrace it.

"Hopefully we can get it over the line and done."

Wrexham only just missed out on the prized top spot in 2021-22 following a strong second half of the season.

Despite making a slow start to the campaign, and still trailing champions-elect Stockport County by 11 points in March, Phil Parkinson's men took the title-race down to the wire but they eventually finished runners-up, and were beaten by Grimsby Town in the play-off semi-final.

The Reds were one of the form teams in the division after the turn of the year and Davies stressed the importance of hitting the ground running this time around.

"If we can replicate the second half of last season in the two halves of this season, I don't think we will be very far off at all," said Davies.

"We can take plenty of positives from last year but ultimately we fell short.

"Hopefully we can rectify that with a stronger squad this time around.

"Keeping the squad together was a massive thing, hopefully we can hit the ground running and stay at the top of the table from the first weekend."

Davies played his part in Wrexham's promotion challenge last term, scoring 21 goals to finish second top scorer behind Paul Mullin, and there is a statistic he is particularly proud of.

"Eight goals from outside the area," said Davies. "I seen a good stat that no-one scored more than that from outside the area in the top five divisions.

"Stuff like that you have got to be proud about.

"I am proud of how I did last season personally, although ultimately the team fell short, but we just want to rectify that and get the promotion.

"When I am selected I will do as much as I can, and hopefully replicate and emulate the stats from last year."

Davies, named in the National League team of the season, might have been one of Wrexham's key players but he knows he faces even stiffer competition for a starting place in 2022-23.

Captain Luke Young, James Jones, Tom O'Connor and Liam McAlinden were already options available to Parkinson who has also added Anthony Forde and Elliot Lee to the midfield ranks.

But Davies is taking the challenge head on, stating: "It is sink or swim. If you are not performing then you are not going to play.

"It is competition for places and all of us in midfield can use that to drive each other on; hopefully it brings the best out of all the players."

Wrexham kick-off a 15th season in non-league at home to Eastleigh tomorrow and Davies, who signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract keeping at The Racecourse until June 2025, wants to be celebrating victory in front of another bumper crowd.

"The lads can't wait," said Davies. "It feels like it has been ages but it hasn't because last season finished late.

"The lads are raring to go and we can't wait to walk out in front of a full-house at The Racecourse again.

"Ultimately three points is what matters when it comes to 3pm on Saturday and start the season off well."

A calf injury threatened to put Davies' involvement's in the opener in doubt but he got a welcome run-out at Caernarfon in Tuesday's final pre-season friendly.

"I was glad to get some minutes at Caernarfon," said Davies.

"I did my calf in the first training session in Spain so I had to be pre-cautionary. I just did gym work and hung about with the lads for the rest of week.

"Spain was a great trip for us, from a personal point of view it didn't go according to plan but I am back now and building up the minutes going into the season."