da dobrowin： Will Boyle has become Wrexham's first signing of the 2023 summer transfer window, arriving from Huddersfield Town

da brdice： After months of radio silence, Wrexham have finally completed their first signing of the summer transfer window. Ever since the Dragons' Football League return was confirmed in April, the club have been linked with a host of players in the divisions above.

But speculation did not develop into anything more until midway through July, when Wrexham announced the arrival of centre-back Will Boyle from Championship Huddersfield Town. The deal came as a bit of a shock.

Although Boyle was not a first-team regular with the Terriers last season, he knows what it takes to get promoted out of League Two, completing the feat with Cheltenham in 2021.

He no doubt would have found League One and perhaps even Championship clubs willing to take him this summer. Instead, he became the latest player to be seduced by the promise of a bit of Hollywood glamour in north Wales.

So, is Boyle as big a coup as had been suggested? Or is he simply returning to his natural level following a season in the sun? GOAL takes a closer look at his career below.

Getty ImagesStruggling to find his feet

Boyle was a late arrival into the professional academy system, only joining Huddersfield at Under-15 level. Prior to that, he had been turning out for hometown side Garforth Villa.

Boyle made a strong start to life as a Terrier, featuring consistently for the Under-18 side during the 2012-13 season and progressing into the Under-21s shortly after. He even attended a Scotland Under-18 training camp in the second half of 2012.

All of this seemed to point to Boyle having a decent chance of progressing into the senior side, and the next step was getting some first-team experience out on loan. Between 2015 and 2017, Boyle bounced around a host of different clubs without ever really settling down and kicking on.

His final spell was with Scottish side Kilmarnock, with his stint being cut short in January 2017 so he could return to England and complete a permanent move away from Huddersfield.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesA permanent home

Cheltenham were the team tempted to take a chance on Boyle – and it turned out to be a stroke of genius. Arriving on a year-and-a-half contract, he helped his new side secure League Two survival in his first half season and remained a key figure as the Robins incrementally improved their league position over the following two campaigns.

Often starting alongside Boyle during this period was current Wrexham skipper Ben Tozer, with the pair forming a strong relationship on and off the field.

The 2019-20 season under Michael Duff was a mixed one for Boyle personally. A calf injury kept him sidelined for several months at the beginning of the season. When he returned, the Robins were well in the promotion hunt and Boyle had to be patient as he looked to force his way back into the team.

"I had a good team around me. The physio really helped me to maintain a positive mindset,” he said at the time.

Eventually, he would return to the side, only for the coronavirus pandemic to bring the League Two campaign to a screeching halt. Cheltenham narrowly missed out on automatic promotion via points per game and fell to Northampton in the play-offs.

This was just the motivation Boyle and Co needed. They would secure the League One title the following season, edging out second-placed Cambridge United – led by a certain free-scoring Paul Mullin – by two points.

Injuries kept Boyle sidelined on occasion, but when he was fit, he played. He even chipped in with six goals in just 29 League Two appearances.

Getty ImagesEmotional return

Boyle was handed the captain's armband for Cheltenham's first season back in the third tier since 2009. The responsibility on his shoulders was sizeable, especially after long-time defensive partner Tozer was tempted away from the club by Wrexham.

Boyle stood up tall, though, playing a key role as Cheltenham secured a commendable mid-table finish. The Robins were desperate for him to stick around and offered him a new contract at the end of last season.

Instead, he opted to move on and ended up landing on his feet in the form of an emotional move to the club where it all began: Huddersfield. But it wasn't quite a storybook return.

The Terriers were in a relegation battle from the first whistle last season, yet Boyle still struggled to break into the first team. He enjoyed a brief run in the side just before Christmas during a defensive injury crisis, but a nightmarish display against Luton on New Year's Day – when his lack of pace was brutally exposed – saw him slip further down the rotation.

He was afforded a rare return to fray in February, but getting sent off for two bookable offences against Stoke City extinguished his first-team prospects.

The Terriers did eventually secure Championship survival, but Boyle could only enjoy this as an onlooker, not appearing in any of his side's final 15 games under incoming manager Neil Warnock.

Getty ImagesWhy have Wrexham signed him

Wrexham have likely signed Boyle to feature on the left of Parkinson's favoured back three. Jordan Tunnicliffe slotted in there most frequently last season, but Boyle is a better player. They could also be some shuffling around of the backline, depending on injuries and form.

Boyle is your typical, old-fashioned centre-back. Dominant in the air and a serious physical presence, his technical shortcomings were sometimes exposed in the second tier, but he should have no issues thriving in League Two.

Boyle's arrival also fits with Parkinson's public explanation of the club's recruitment strategy. In short, Wrexham wanted quality over quantity this summer following a string of busy transfer windows.

Boyle, a League Two promotion winner with his best days ahead of him, represents the sort of signing that is worth waiting for, and the Dragons have been rewarded for their patience.