CAPTAIN Shaun Pearson says the Wrexham players deserve credit for booking a play-off spot following a roller-coaster ride of a season.

Sam Ricketts started the campaign as manager and with the Reds among the National League leaders, the former Wales international decided to jump ship and was appointed Shrewsbury boss in December.

His assistant, Graham Barrow took charge but his reign lasted less than two months after he decided to step down and former Wrexham midfielder, Bryan Hughes, was unveiled as the club's third manager of the season.

Amid all the managerial changes, Wrexham continued to challenge for automatic promotion and were guaranteed a top-seven finish with three games to go.

It has been far from plain-sailing but Pearson saluted his team-mates for sticking to their task and the centre-back is looking for one final push in the play-offs.

"We are really pleased and it is something the lads should be really proud of, especially with everything that has gone on," said Pearson.

"It has been tough going. The lads will down-play it and say you just get on with it as players but it does have a change on things.

"Different managers want different things in different situations and as players, especially lads who are out of contract at the end of the year, they are second guessing 'is he going to like me', and they are having to reprove themselves time and time again.

"I think it is something we can be really happy but obviously we want to go one step further and once you are in, you have got a chance."

Inspirational captain Pearson joined Wrexham in the summer of 2017 and his first season at The Racecourse ended with the Reds missing out on a play-off spot following a poor run-in after Dean Keates left to take charge of Walsall.

But Pearson, enjoying another superb season in the heart of the defence, has helped secure a top-seven finish.

It is the first time in six years that Wrexham are lining up in the play-offs and although Pearson wants to finish the job off by winning promotion, he insists progress has been made at The Racecourse regardless of what happens next.

"We wanted to challenge for the title but that went," said Pearson.

"But once you step back from that and look at the season as a whole, it is a massive improvement on last season.

"That is already more points more than what we got last year, we have scored a fair few more goals and defensively we have got a similar sort of record.

"Big improvements and that is what you have to do.

"If you keep improving, obviously we want to go up but whatever happens, if you improve on that again next year then you just give yourself a better opportunity each time you come to it."