FORMER Wrexham boss Brian Flynn insists Brian Carey has “all the right ingredients to become a top-class” manager.

Carey returns to his Colliers Park office today after a week’s holiday to continue preparations for the onset of his first full season in charge of the Dragons.

The Wrexham boss has already added two new faces to the squad which survived the protracted battle with relegation last term, having also secured the futures of loan players Michael Proctor and Anthony Williams.

Both Williams and Proctor played a key part in the Dragon’s survival bid, which saw Carey appointed to the role he had filled since the sacking of Denis Smith in January on a full-time basis.

It is a role his former boss Flynn believes he was born to do, despite enduring a difficult start to life in the hot-seat.

Carey failed to record a single win during his first 10 games in charge as the club slipped into the bottom two.

But a run of four victories in the final five games of the campaign sealed their League status.

And Flynn has now backed his former captain to enjoy a successful managerial career.

“I have every confidence that Brian can go on and become a successful manager with Wrexham now,” said the Wales intermediate boss.

“He has all the right ingredients to become a top-class manager without a doubt.

I always knew he would go on

to be a manager when I had him as a player. He was a born leader.

“I visited him a couple of times during the season and the thing that impressed me about Brian was that he was consistently calm, even during the difficult times. He realised the enormity of the situation but he handled it in the right manner.

“He took advice when he needed it but that is only right and proper. But he always did it the way he felt it had to be done.”

Flynn, who still maintains a close interest in the club he managed for 12 years in his FAW role, has also spoken of his relief at the Dragons’ League survival.

“I was delighted to say the least that Wrexham stayed up,” added Flynn. “Words can’t describe what would have happened to the club – and Welsh football – if they had of gone down. It would have been devastating.

“Look at what happened to Newport County. They were the last Welsh club to go out of the Football League, and where are they now 20 odd years down the line? They are no nearer to getting back.

“It would have been very, very difficult for them had they gone down.”

Flynn feels the future for Wrexham now is very positive and he reserved special praise for the club’s centre of excellence. Headed by Steve Cooper, who was brought to the club by Flynn, the Dragons’ youth set-up was represented at every level of Welsh international football last term.

“The youth system at Wrexham is obviously working.,” he said. “It has been built on very solid foundations and if you’ve got that then you have every chance of succeeding.

“There were four boys from Wrexham at and under-17 tournament in Turkey. That’s nearly 25% of the squad. So the future is obviously bright.”