SAM RICKETTS is ready to utilise the loan market compiling his Wrexham squad and hasn't ruled out turning to his former clubs for assistance.

The former Wales international, who was Wolves U16s lead coach, has been appointed as the new Reds boss on a three year deal.

It is his first managerial position and Ricketts will oversee Wrexham's 11th season in the National League.

Ricketts has eight players, including captain Shaun Pearson, under contract and he is set to announce his retained list "as soon as possible."

A vastly experienced defender who played for the likes of Oxford United, Swansea City, Hull City, Bolton Wanderers, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Coventry City before hanging up his boots in November 2016 because of a knee injury, Ricketts has a list of targets that he would like to bring to The Racecourse.

Although the majority of new signings will be on permanent deals, Ricketts will look to strengthen with loan additions before August's big kick-off.

"The loan market, if you can get the right players who are going to come in and make a difference, and if you can get them for a fraction of the cost, then brilliant," said Ricketts.

"Ideally you want as many as your own players as possible, I don't want to fill the team with loan players.

"But if we can have a handful of loan players who come in and make a difference then it is something we will certainly do.

"When it comes down to it I seem to know quite a few people in the game. I have spoken to quite a few people already."

But Ricketts is unlikely to recruit loan signings just yet.

"The problem is the best loans are probably the last ones to happen because they are the players which clubs want to have with them in pre-season to have a good look at them," he said.

"You don't want the ones which you can get easily now because it means they are not big demand.

"The best players have demand on them and they are the ones which you have to keep monitoring, keep watching and keep enquiring about."

Ricketts wants a good blend of senior and young players in his squad.

"You need experience and you need youth," said Ricketts. "You need experience because you need the calm heads and you need youth because you need the exuberance that youth brings.

"With youth, you can sometimes get a bit more for your money because they are trying to make their way in the game, and you try and pick the right players who are going to go on and do something.

"You need a blend of everything but first and foremost, everyone has to have a good character.

"I am not into players who aren't good characters, I want players who want to be here, players who are prepared to push themselves. I don't want anyone who is just going to go through any motions.

"With older players, a few of them do go through the motions but luckily here, the senior players don't.

"They are pushing themselves and they push the team which is really important, and then young players to come in and push themselves because they want a career."

Ricketts revealed the players under contract all have a future at Wrexham, whose promotion challenge faded in the run-in last season.

"The club wasn't a million miles away last year so I am trying to make little tweaks to it, not wholesale changes," said Ricketts.