Chelsea tie an ‘amazing distraction’ for promotion-chasing Wrexham – Dominic Hyam

Wrexham captain Dominic Hyam has called Saturday’s FA Cup fifth round tie at home to Chelsea an “amazing distraction” from their promotion charge as they look to make more history in the competition.

Phil Parkinson’s men have won three successive Championship games to strengthen their hold on a top-six place as they aim for what would be an incredible fourth straight promotion season, but will take time out to welcome the club world champions to north Wales this weekend.

“It could be deemed as a distraction, but what an amazing distraction it is,” Hyam said. “You want to play against the best teams and the best players. It’s what you work hard for, playing against Premier League teams in the FA Cup.

“Hopefully we can be there one day and be a Premier league team playing someone in the FA Cup too.”

Hyam, a summer signing from Blackburn, scored his first Wrexham goal in the previous round against Nottingham Forest, a tie which finished 3-3 before the Red Dragons prevailed 4-3 on penalties.

Before the Hollywood glamour of recent years, the most famous day in the club’s history was their FA Cup giant-killing of Arsenal back in 1992 when still a Fourth Division club.

The current iteration have already taken their own Premier League scalp this season by knocking out Forest in the third round, and Hyam welcomes the chance to make more history.

“Before the Forest game, the gaffer showed us a lot of clips on the history of Wrexham and some of the big games that happened here many years ago,” Hyam said. “Hopefully we can use that now, having beaten Forest as another example, so it’s another opportunity to create our own history.”

Much like the club he joined in September, the 30-year-old Hyam has played throughout the divisions during a career that began in Reading’s academy.

Loan spells with Hemel Hempstead, Basingstoke, and Dagenham & Redbridge gave him a taste of the lower divisions before his time with Coventry included two promotions to go from League Two to the Championship.

Opportunities

It is a journey which gives Hyam an extra appreciation for opportunities like Saturday.

“I think it’s really important to remember what your past self has done, and what Dom of 10 years ago might be thinking of how Dom is now,” he said.

“Every opportunity I get, I put 100 per cent into every game that I have and I think it’s really good to appreciate your journey.

“Not every season and every game is plain sailing, you’re going to make mistakes, you’re going to learn along the way, but it’s the belief and the drive that you have internally that I think just keeps you going.”